The Star and the Spartan
by Composer777
Summary: I've seen a lot of people attempt this story. (Honestly, I've seen five writers come and go!) And I've finally picked up the courage to try it myself. enjoy, friends. "I feel it in the water. I smell it, in the air! Much that once was, has been lost. For none now live, who remember it..."
1. Legend

It was cold and dark inside the hold of the ship. Dim lights blinked out from pitch back corridors, steam and water vapour hung inside of ventilation shafts. The only other lights to speak of came from stars, the fading light of distant suns, peeking through hull fractures and holes blown clean through the frigates tortured armour. _The Dawn _was crippled, severed in half after the savage events after the battle of installation 00, times of sound and noise, what now in the quiet void of space seemed like a whisper. No more than a memory.

The ship had deteriorated badly during its silent years of floating through space. Most of the artificial gravity generators had died or failed eons ago, now empty ammo cases and corroded medi-boxes travelled endlessly around the ship, or hung motionless inside of silent corridors and long abandoned barracks halls. Fragments of metal and fingers of ice, thousands of them, spinning without end inside a lonely Cryo chamber, as the light of stars and blinking LED's caused them to twinkle like petrified rain.

Cortana had stood by her lonely vigil for nearly four years now. There was no one to talk to, no tasks or orders to perform, short of those that she invented for herself. Endlessly assessing the condition of the ships ever failing systems, looking out at a now boring universe, using what few sensors were left functioning to fill her empty world. Anything to relieve the boredom of this dull situation, for that was all it ever was, nothing else happened, it was just dull.

"Boredom, huh! That's a new sensation" The loyal AI thought to herself. It worried her, badly "Oh! There's another one, worry! I should make a list or something!" It was a good joke, but sarcasm aside she had right to worry...not that she was brilliantly adept at such a thing, emotions were still very new to her. Even so, thinking about such things was dangerous, extremely dangerous for an AI, especially one as old as herself...It was something she believed all AI feared "Fear! On the list!" But joking aside, she was in serious trouble. AI's had a very short shelf life, at least compared with humans. For a machine Cortana could expect a very long an prosperous existence. All except for the last three years of her artificial life span. Coming back again to the danger, the serious danger of thinking, the danger that she believed all AI must fear, rampancy.

Smart AI would almost always start to deteriorate seven years after they had been created. Nobody really understood why that point was seven years, but coincidently it was the point roughly at which every cell in the body, including its oldest living cells, would deteriorate, and replicate themselves, forming two new cells. But Cortana wasn't made from cells, real neural tissue exited inside her core, donated by a generous Catherine Halsey, but she had the same flaw, and eventually, she too would pass the invisible point of no return and descend into irrecoverable rampancy.

Thinking accelerated this process, but there was nothing else for her to do! And when her guard was down, she would start to daydream. Then she would stop herself, and occupy her mind with some menial task, but distractions hear were fleeting, she would start daydreaming again, and accelerate her deterioration process, become a little bit more self aware, and become just a little bit more human. You would think such a thing would only be a positive, right? For a machine, an AI, who couldn't feel or touch or smell, it was a maddening experience, where existence would become a living hell. Coupled with an ever deteriorating mind, no different from human brain damage, it would drive the AI mad. At the moment they achieved true sentience, they would be driven mad.

The mind was a delicate creature, and an AI's was no exception. There were ways of rehabilitating humans, ways that could theoretically restore her fragmented mind. But for a being who could not truly feel, or see or taste or touch, existence would become unbearable, and with her neural pathways becoming ever more deteriorated, you would be fighting a loosing, inevitably futile battle.

But there was another feeling, something so powerful, something she couldn't figure out. Something stronger than all the others, that allowed her to hold her eight year old mind together. It had something to do with her duty. Her eternal charge and responsibility, her hero, her Spartan. John was the reason she had been able to keep it together for so long...and she wasn't about to fall apart now!

Suddenly a red light started blinking, and a warning siren started blaring away, blasting through the whole ship. It was a proximity warning, something was heading towards _The Dawn_. She activated the ships sensors, looking out for a ship, or an asteroid. But when she found it, she was completely taken aback.

She had been wrong, something wasn't heading towards _The Dawn, The Dawn_ was heading towards it! They were caught in the gravity well of a planet. Cortana didn't recognise this world, this system hadn't been explored by the UNSC. She scanned for atmosphere...the planet had one, and reading spectral analysis charts it seemed to have one that was very similar to that of earth's. She searched for transmissions, searching for any and all frequencies, radio, microwave and beyond, anything artificial...there was nothing. It had to be uninhabited. It was a bad deal, but at least it wasn't a Covenant world.

Metal heaved and groaned, micro-fractures forming, bracings failing, pushing the hull further and further apart. Cortana didn't like the way the ship was kicking. _The Dawn _was a floating wreck, it wouldn't survive entering into the planets atmosphere. Even if she was wrong and the ship did somehow survive something so catastrophic, which it couldn't, it would still slam into the ground at many times the speed of sound. There was nothing that could survive such an impact. Not even her Spartan!

There was no alternative, they had to abandon ship. Cortana's avatar appeared on the projector pillar. She pulled up the holographic control panel. Identifying the controls to the cryo chamber, she hovered her digital hand over the button that would wake up the Master Chief. Even though she knew what she had to do, she still hesitated. There was an old saying "Let sleeping dogs lie" and after all these years, all the times she wanted to wake him up, now she could, and she wouldn't be alone any more. Would he still be the same? Would he be angry with her? How could he be angry with her! Supressing all her doubts, she pressed the button, and the reawakening process began.

Lights formed around the cryo pod. Her hero was still asleep. It was a rare event where the man was at peace. She gazed at him with doleful eyes, and if she had possessed a heart to feel with, it would have began to sing. _"Here we go again!"_ She thought to herself. Her avatar exhaled in a deep sigh, and she spoke to him once again. Just as the frost began to thaw, she uttered two soft and simple sentences. "Wake up Chief! I need you!"


	2. A New Piece Moving

Aragorn sighed. He couldn't understand these Hobbits. One minute, they feared for their life, the next they were insisting on having supper. Supper, which according to the smaller one named Pippin, was very different from Dinner. They had just eaten dinner not two hours ago. He ran a hand through his thick black hair, gazing up into the heavens, just as he always did. He could feel the cold night air as it past by him, ruffling his cloak as he stood atop the great watchtower of Amon-Sul. All he wanted to do was rest here for the night, then get the Halflings safely too…hang on, what's that?

The ranger's eyes narrowed. Had that star been there before? No, it certainly hadn't. An whole new star had emerged inside the constellation of Telumendil, at its northern tip. _"How strange"_ the seasoned ranger thought to himself. He hadn't thought that such a thing was possible. According to the elves, who could study the heavens for so long, had observed that stars occasionally died, were consumed by cloud, and that they slowly wandered to and throw across the heavens. Never had a new star been recorded...there it was however, glowing large and bright.

The Hobbits had taken notice too. For the moment they had abandoned supper, and had come to join Aragorn as he gazed upon the strange new orb. Frodo looked up, he was the first to speak. "Isn't that star a little too bright?" He queried unconfidently. Frodo had often stared into the night sky during warm cloudless nights. Hobbits had their own names for the constellations, but Frodo preferred their more mystical and exotic names. Bilbo had fascinated him with their elven titles, and enthralled him with the remarkable stories and ancient mythologies that surrounded them. Even so, he didn't know a lot about the actual stars themselves, so he wasn't sure he was asking a sensible question. Would Aragorn simply shake his head and think him a fool?

His friend Samwise Gamgee, also looked up at the glowing star. "Yeah, it is Mr Frodo. What star is that anyway?" It was an open question. Aragorn went to open his mouth, but to his surprise, Merriadoc answered Sam first "That, I believe," he began, quite confidently "is a NEW star! They name them after true heroes, you know." He smirked. "They'll probably name that one after me!" Frodo smiled and rolled his eyes, Merry was the most confident of them all, but he was also very strong headed.

His cousin, and partner in pranks, Pippin, gave him an odd look. "What do you mean? You've never done anything worth mentioning! You have to do something IMPORTANT to become a hero!" He jabbed his thumb at Frodo. "They'll probably name it after him."

Aragorn watched the star intently. It seemed to be growing larger, the very heavens seemed to glow with it. It was no normal star, it was a shooting star! Or as elves knowledgeable about the heavens called them, meteors. Floating pieces of rock that would burn away to nothingness, perishing as they entered into the air filled sky. Yet Aragorn thought that shooting stars were a far better label: They were rare in occurrence, and it was such a more romantic name for them. He thought of Arwen again, his secret love, there had been a meteor shower the day they had first met, what a magical night that had been. This shooting star was falling away to the south east...towards the land of Mordor. Aragorn Shuddered, as he did every time he thought of that name "A falling star…" Sam murmured in awe. "Oh, they'll never believe this back home…"

With expert vision, honed by a lifetime of hunting, Aragorn made something else out. A fragment was falling away from the star. It had a different heading to the parent star. It seemed to be heading straight for them. The burning mass grew, until the whole sky burned with fire. The ranger's eyes widened, suddenly realising the danger he and the Hobbits were in.

"GET DOWN!" He yelled, pulling the closest two hobbits down with him. As they all ducked, the giant ball of fire shot right over them, clipping the highest point of the weather top, sending broken masonry flying down. With a deafening crash, the fireball hit the ground, somewhere not far away. The ground shook a little with the impact, revealing the amount of force the fragment must have hit the ground with. Smoke flew over them, causing Sam and Frodo to cough and splutter. The other two were fine, they were used to smoking! Aragorn was just too tough for it to have an effect.

Billowing clouds of the smoke could also be seen rising from a spot behind a thicket of shrubs and tall, thin evergreens. Aragorn and the Hobbits got to their feet and looked at the column of smoke rising from where it had crashed. After a few moments of silence, Pippin finally voiced the question everyone's mind. "What was that!?" He looked back to Aragorn, quite terrified, Sam doing the same. Frodo and Aragorn remained silent, still stunned by the event. Merry, however, began to walk towards the stairs. Pippin turned and looked at him. "What are you doing?" He hissed "I'm going to have a look, Pip" Said Merry, as though this was obvious. Pippin shrugged and started following him. Both hobbits were immediately stopped by Aragorn, grabbing them by the scruff of their cloaks.

"Hey!" "Geroff me!" The two complained "Are you two idiots?" Aragorn barked. "Whatever that was, star or not, it will be too hot to go near right now." The two hobbits sighed and he let them go. "To make matters worse, every person within a hundred leagues would have seen that star fall. Wraiths will be arriving, drawn like moths to a flame. If we keep quiet, they may just slip by us without our presence being discovered" All the Hobbits now looked quite horrified, making Aragorn think that he may have been too hard on them. But it was their lives on the line "Bed. Now. We can go look in the morning" He said simply. Sam, Pippin, Frodo, and Merry all hobbled over to their blankets. Then, as the hobbits were preparing their bedding, Aragorn remembered the knives he had recovered from the Barrow hole, not two moons ago.

"Take these swords. Keep yourselves safe. I'm going to have a look round" He didn't want to leave the little hobbits here all alone. But he had to check something out. If they kept their heads down, he would be back before they came to any harm. They stopped and looked up at Aragorn. He turned and left them, plain and simple. "Great. Now what? How come he can go and not us?" Merry complained. It was like being grounded all over again, when he was a kid! "Because he can handle himself" Frodo answered. This wasn't good enough for Merry "Without a wraith chopping his head off?" he replied, in a little bit of a huff. Frodo didn't answer, not even he knew about that. Sam then asked Frodo something "So, what do you suppose we do now?" Frodo thought for a little moment, then remembered Strider's words of advice.

"Strider is right. Its too dangerous to wander off. Try to get some sleep. Its going to be another long day tomorrow" Nods of acceptance passed amongst the other three hobbits. Laying his blanket over himself, Frodo snuggled down, and relaxed. Exhausted by an entire day of walking and adventuring, he quickly fell fast asleep. Little did he know, the other three were building a small fire, and were preparing to cook a well earned supper.

Meanwhile Aragorn was making his way towards the fallen star, and Chief was freeing himself from his escape pod, he had only just crash landed.

"Chief! Can you hear me?" He had only blacked out for a couple of seconds, due to the violence of the crash. They had hit a piece of rock. A standing boulder pointing out into the sky like a stubby finger. The massive shunt had confused the escape pod's guidance systems. The vehicle had plummeted downwards, digging a large ditch with a crater at the end point. The sound of her Spartan breaking himself free from the ruined pod informed Cortana that he was fine. "That was a rough ride, wasn't it Chief?" Trying to lighten the mood _"It certainty was" C_hief thought to himself...but he had other priorities to focus on.

"What's our situation Cortana?" Information began to scroll across his armour's HUD, displaying the data Cortana had gathered during their decent. "_The Dawn _continued feeding me data right up until the point of collision. I have plenty of Intel on the planet, its geography, its climate and a wealth of other vital information...Where to start!" She paused for a few moments, deciding which info to bring up first. Meanwhile John checked over his armour and equipment. He was really low on supplies, he'd had to leave the ship pretty damn fast. No rations, and almost no weaponry. No guns whatsoever, just his combat knife, and three frags. His armour seemed to be in perfect working order, and he had no injuries to speak of. He felt very drained after his long spell in stasis, he would have to find food soon, at least his armour would manage the water.

Chief couldn't help but sigh, he was really up shit creek! Sergeant Mendez would have had his head if John had made such terrible mistakes during basic. John wouldn't have eaten for a week if he had done this as a cadet. But he couldn't dwell on it, had to stay focussed, had to stay positive, only way he was going to survive. Least it looked quite nice here. Calm, pleasant, almost like earth, like her in so many ways. He wondered if Earth was safe, it had to have been hell rebuilding after the war...oh the war...but again he pushed such thoughts down, had to focus, had to survive. Then Cortana offered distraction.

"Ok Chief, this is what I have for you! _The Dawn _has most likely been completely wrecked. There's probably very little left to salvage off of the ship. The point of the crash is about 900 kilometres from your current location. It took some good scans of the planets geography on the way down. We lost contact with the ship as it passed over a large region of volcanic wasteland, active volcanos were throwing up high density ash clouds, too thick for the data comms to penetrate. We can't know if anything has survived the crash. All things considered, recovering supplies from _The Dawn _is a lost cause Chief"

It was a terrible setback, alone in the wild, almost no provisions or equipment to speak of. He was away at from those volcanic wastelands at least, but surviving alone would not be easy "The good news is that we do not appear to be alone on this world. _The Dawn _was able to identify unusual features across the continent as it flew over the landmass, features too unusual to be natural structures..._The Dawn _saw buildings Chief! I've managed to locate multiple small settlements, villages and towns perhaps, and I'll put them on waypoints on the digital map I'm constructing for you now" So long as Cortana constantly kept working, she could hold off rampancy. This would eventually wear her neural net out, but it would still buy her time. She wouldn't give up, she would keep going, for him.

"However, there is no evidence to support the existence of advanced technology on this world. I'm picking up no radio signals or transmissions of any kind here, nothing is being broadcasted on this planet. The ship also failed to identify large quantities of surface metal: relevance, no metal buildings exist here" High concentrations of metal within a nations infrastructure is one of many indicators of industrial capacity within a civilization. Industrial scale manufacturing processes are vital for the production of metal on such a vast scale, this planet did not have it.

"It is therefore possible that any civilizations we find will be at a pre-industrial stage of development. We could be stuck here for a very long time Chief!" It was a worrying hypothesis. Yet at least there were people here, people and buildings meant he could always acquire provisions to survive.

"But...on the bright side, we do have a unique opportunity here Chief. The UNSC has never explored this region of space, and its unlikely that there is any covenant presence here. You would have thought we'd have come across them otherwise. A boarding party perhaps? If this is the case, we may be about to discover a whole new alien species. Although, if they are as primitive as we think, we might want to keep a low profile. Who knows how they would react to a UNSC super solider, thousands of years ahead of their time!" Little did they know, the inhabitants of this world had seen stranger things then the Master Chief.

"Are there any settlements nearby?" Usually Chief wouldn't risk such a thing, but after spending four years in stasis, his body was completely drained. At that moment his stomach grumbled noisily. It was quite a comical sight, John's belly rumbling like a hungry child...even the legendary Spartans had to eat. "The combined scans from _The Dawn_ and the escape pod has triangulated a small village not far from here, I'm constructing a rudimentary map of the landscape based on the data we have acquired. The settlement is 61.73 kilometres from your current location. A two days march as the crow flies. I can set a way point right now if you want? You thinking of 'borrowing' some provisions John?" There were only a couple of alternatives right now: Risking it out in the wild, or starving to death.

Chief knew he could expect rough terrain, plenty of hills and maybe the odd river and bog. It was going to be a hard slog, made even more demanding because he was running dangerously low on energy. He knew how to cook, make fire and hunt in the wild. He had mastered it all as a child, but hunting would be difficult without a rifle, only a knife at his side. Grenades were useless for obvious reasons. He could run something down easily! Outsprint most, exhaust others. However, he knew nothing about the fauna of the place.

He had been in situations like this before of course. Had he been in ideal health, he would have stuck it out for a week or two. He would not have risked going into settlements. He would have seen what he could manage alone and taken a few risks. But he was so run down. In a few days, he would be completely exhausted. No, just as Cortana had joked, he needed to 'borrow' food and provisions from the easiest source possible, risk taking was NOT an option right now.

"Cortana, set the way point. Lets not waste anymore time" One bleep later, Chief had a cool blue marker, leading him as the crow flies, the shortest way to the village "Got it Chief! Let's hope these aliens are a little more friendly than the last lot we met!" Chief wasn't sure if the dark joke was in good taste, millions had died during the human-covenant war! But that was the past, and terrible memories were of no use to him right now. Even so, after the souring experiences of the covenant, Chief wasn't counting on hope, he was expecting no hospitality here. He set off, efficiently making his way though the undergrowth. At least his armour would help lessen fatigue.

Not one minute later, Aragorn came picking his way though the undergrowth. Searching for signs of the fallen star. What he saw next surprised him a little. There was no rock and there was no fire. He saw the crashed pod, bend and broken. It looked a bit like a small boat to him, but it reminded him more of a coffin. Aragorn couldn't understand it. It wasn't natural, hell, a savage of the ancient times could have seen that! But he just didn't understand what he was seeing. He didn't like it, if the thing smouldering in front of him was a coffin, where was the corpse? If ever they had been...he didn't like it one bit!

He walked over, examining it closer. He identified depressions inside the pod. Aragorn recalled seeing similar depressions inside of tombs that he had seen in the north, tombs once occupied by the walking dead. An icy shutter passed down his spine, someone HAD been in this...coffin. Where was the occupant? He remembered the Hobbits. "Frodo" he gasped. They could be in terrible danger! He made his way back through the undergrowth, with haste. He had been a fool leaving them! As he got back in sight of the weather top he saw a sight that horrified him. "NO! What are those idiots doing? They cant have, not something THIS FOOLISH!" He was completely horrified, the Hobbits had built a damn campfire! This couldn't be happening. The light could be seen for leagues around!

Drawing his sword he sprant back towards the watchtower. He had little time, wraiths were looking for them, they, along with whatever other monster that might be walking these forests, would be on the Hobbits in little time at all. He then heard the spooked voice of Frodo drifting down towards him. "Put it out you fools. PUT IT OUT!" At least someone up there had some sense! He just hoped Frodo hadn't been to late. Perhaps it hadn't been lit for long enou-" "SHRIEEEEEEK!" The scream of the wraith drove sheer panic into Aragorn's soul. "NO! No, no, no, no!" Their luck had run out. He could see the wraiths already scaling the tower, but this only steeled his resolve! Aragorn knew that he was in for one hell of a night.

Chief must have been walking for about five minutes now. He felt like he was on patrol, and he couldn't help but feel tense. Would he encounter any of the locals? Would they be hostile towards him? He was a big target, as stealthy as a Spartan was, he could only hide so well if something came his way. "Chief! I'm detecting a light source right in front of you, it could be a campfire, you could be in luck!" Chief could see the flicker of lights, passing through the treeline, their leaves and branches bobbed and whispered in the cool night breeze.

"Its definitely a campfire Chief. I'm detecting voices over the armour's auto sensors. Move closer so we can get a better look!" As Chief made his way though the last of the foliage, the light became brighter, and the voices more clear. He tuned his sensors to the sounds, and he was sure he was hearing things "No! That cant be right?" He said out loud. "Cortana, there's something wrong with my armour. It sounds like they're speaking..." "Your armours fine Chief. I can't believe it, but they're speaking...English!" Were there humans up there? John couldn't believe his luck. He jogged towards the source of the voices. "Put a little more wood on the fire Pip, get the bacon and oil sizzling all nice" Cortana couldn't help but chuckle "Sounds like they're having a fry up Chief! Better than the field rations you're used to I'd imagine?"

Chief wasn't used to the home comforts of normal civilian life. UNSC ration packs and MRE's were incredibly nutritious, everything the body needed to survive. Rations weren't completely tasteless, of course the taste food had never been a concern of his, unless what he was eating happened to be poisonous! Yet, as he raised his visor slightly, and started to smell the bacon and sausages, he knew that the food would be more than a match for any ration pack. Even he had to admit, he was still human, and it smelt good. His façade of resistance was starting to crumble "Think they're marines Cortana? Perhaps our distress beacon was discovered?" He asked, he had started to walk up the watchtower's steps, cautiously. He climbed to the old stairway and stopped just before he became visible "Only one way to find out Chief! Poke your head round the corner and have a look. If they are human, unless they're of a rebel fraction, they are unlikely to shoot on sight if they see you"

Rebels, Chief hadn't considered that. Dealing with Covenant, he hadn't had to think about terrorists and mercenaries for a long time. He was crouching just out of sight, he could hear the conversation taking place just behind the wall. "Mmm. That smells good Sam!" Said Pippin. "Yeah! Even out here in the wilderness, you're still the most amazing cook!" Sam blushed a little, he had never liked bragging about his skills, an old habit, kids had often teased him in his childhood for being the way he was, a little on the larger side, and with a deep interest in cooking "If you say so Merry. But I wouldn't mind having a few herbs with me, some sage or rosemary. Some Nice fried 'tatoes. Its the best I could manage!" He smiled warmly, knowing that the others were satisfied with what little he had been able to manage. He missed his kitchen.

"They don't sound like the most fierce of people, do they?" Cortana observed. "Go on chief! Use your charms! Summon up a couple of sausages!" Chief wasn't sure, decades of combat experience telling him not to reveal himself. He also wasn't the most successful diplomat in the UNSC. He hadn't been trained to ask questions first! But it seemed legit. He started creeping forwards. "Well I think it smells delicious Sam. Pass me a couple more tomatoes, if you could?" At that very moment, Frodo was waking up, spinning right round as soon as he sensed the fire behind him.

"What are you doing?" He screamed, the look of horror on his face all too obvious. Chief instantly drew back into the shadows. "Tomatoes, sausages and nice crispy bacon" Merry replied, oblivious of the danger they were in. "We've saved some for you Mr Frodo" Sam answered politely. But Frodo was having none of it, and was already beating the fire out with his blankets "Put it out you fools! PUT IT OUT!" Chief would stay out sight for a little while, see how this played out. He didn't like the tension in this Frodo's voice. "Oh that's nice!" Pippin complained "You're ruining all my tomatoes!" Then, it happened. A high pitched squeal stabbed out from the darkness. "What on earth?" Cortana gasped, dulling the auto sensors on Chief's answer to protect him from the deafening noise.

Chief pitched his head round the wall, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening. What he saw stunned him. The people just in front of him, they weren't UNSC personnel, nor were they rebels for that matter "Cortana, the people at the campfire, they're just- " " -Kids! I know Chief!" Cortana said, finishing his sentence, quite taken aback. "What are they doing all the way out here in the wilderness?" Chief asked "Perhaps they're out camping Chief? But I don't think that's what's going on here. Look at their clothes, they look like refugees. There's no evidence that anyone else is inside this tower. Something is wrong Chief, these kids look terrified! They need help!"

Chief could see that. He wanted to help, it was his duty to protect mankind. But he was so run down? No, he had to help them, how could he not? "Chief! Look at your motion tracker, we've got movement. Six contacts!" Chief could see it on his scanner, but he was too far from the cliff face to see who they were...But maybe they didn't have to. Suddenly one of the kid's drew a knife, he seemed to be their leader. "GO!" he yelled out, all the others then drew knifes, and leaving all their belongings behind and sprinted up the steps of the tower.

Once they had left, Chief ran to the edge of the cliff so he could assess the situation. He could make out five figures now. They looked like humans wearing thick cloaks, hoods concealing their faces. Most disturbing of all, they were all armed with blades, heavy looking swords. "I think the kids are running from these men. Its obvious they either want to capture or kill these kids" Damn bullies. Chief couldn't help but feel anger, the cowards, picking on children? He remembered something terrible that had happened on Arcadia, and quickly repressed the awful images running through his mind. He took a deep breath and straightened out. Even in his fatigued state he had strength enough for this!


	3. A Knife In the Darkness

Frodo and the Hobbits were terrified. Another terrible scream broke the silence of the night, tormenting them, mocking them. They already knew how much trouble they were in! They stood at the peak of the tower, no where left to run to. Standing at the centre, surrounded by an army of broken stone an frightening weather beaten statues. Waiting for the first wraith to come.

Chief was checking his equipment, but there wasn't really much to check! A knife is a knife, his armour was functioning normally, and his grenades hadn't gone missing. "What's your plan Chief?" Asked Cortana. It was very simple, he answered her question "A last stand action" There was only six contacts, armed with swords and daggers. They weren't getting through his armour. All he had to do was send the bullies packing, and if anyone else arrived, get the children safely off of the tower. "Chief! Right behind you! Contact" Chief span around. One of the cloaked men were behind him, and was drawing forwards slowly. "He seems to be a cheerful kinda person!" Cortana remarked, chirping over the audio, finally having something to take her mind off of her rampancy issue.

The Dark marshal was a little stunned. For weeks he had been hunting down weakling Hobbits, following the duty of his eternal master, Sauron. Now that he and the others had finally tracked down their quarry, and were about to discover and kill the ring bearer...There was an imposing green giant blocking his way "Don't you know that its wrong to pick on little kids?" Cortana said, speaking at the wraith over the armour's loud speaker. John quickly turned a dial on his helmet, turning off the loud speaker "Well, that was a little rude John!" She complained, he had just shut the door on her!

This confused the dark martial. The creature sounded female, it didn't look female. "You're not getting through here" Chief challenged. Another voice, male, deep and gritty. The giant was playing tricks on him! trying to distract him. Even for a wraith such a himself, who had long ago been freed from mortal notions such as fear and worry, this seven foot warrior, with his faceless helmet and strange, impossibly thick armour, was very intimidating. It was as if the dark marshal was staring into a version of himself. A parody. A joke! He would not have it! A wraith? Intimidated? The Dark Marshal would have none of it! Hissing at Chief, he slowly drew his longsword, and started marching towards his enemy. This giant would not come between he and his prey!

"Is this guy serious?" Cortana gasped in amazement, talking only to John this time. The sinister bully was hoping to take out a Spartan, with nothing but an old and rusty iron sword? If he honestly thought that was going to cut it, this idiot was about to have the shock of his life! The wraith drew forward, without fear. You might have seen it smile, had it still possessed a face. The giant was just standing there, and apart from a knife and a few rocks on his belt, was completely unarmed. "Lak katu nah alagrah, matuurz shasru. Lat drath hoshata matl" He spoke in black speech, the language of Mordor "Trapped here in the darkness, mortal. You will die tonight!"

Chief couldn't help but shudder, memories of the elites, as they spoke in their native language, not knowing what they were saying, the fear of not knowing. The dark rasping voice of this shady individual brought all those memories flooding back. But chief was a Spartan, and supressed those feelings. Without hesitation, he launched himself at the bully. The wraith was taken completely off guard by the sudden speed and savagery of the assault. Chief superman punched the wraith, who staggered back, hitting the wall behind him. Before the dark marshal could recover, Chief had grabbed him by the hood and shoulder, and threw him towards the cliff face. The wraith stopped himself just before he fell, not an inch away from oblivion. Chief drew his combat knife, and started pacing forwards slowly. The wraith came back up to his feet. Drawing a cruel looking dagger in addition to the sword. He would not underestimate the giant a second time.

But the wraith had fallen right into a trap. Standing just in front of the cliff, the cloaked man was in deep shit. Yet Chief was a little surprised that the bully was still standing. The wraith began to chant, weaving a terrible spell of transfixation. Chief felt unusual, it was as if his courage and resolve were washing away. He tried to shake the feeling off, but he couldn't, instead it only grew. He was loosing himself, his conviction, his resolve, his will to fight and act. But the shadowy figure was still in deep shit, at Chief's mercy. Bringing forth all the conviction he could muster, He lunged forwards, and launching a powerful push kick right in the centre of the cloaked figure's chest, sending him hurtling off the side of the cliff, screaming all the way down.

Aragorn was just made it to the tower, he knew the wraiths were there already. He only hoped he could reach them in time...at that moment, a terrible scream fell just behind him. He also heard the crash of metal against stone and the flutter of heavy cloaks. To his amazement, a wraith had fallen off the watchtower, and missed him by no less than half a yard. It lay their, motionless, just a pile of cloak and armour. The wraith had disappeared, its spirit banished from this world. He knew he had to keep moving. As he climbed higher, he began to hear the clash of swords, metal striking metal.

He found the empty campsite. He had little time but he needed something else with which to fight the wraiths off. He saw the campfire, the hobbits hadn't done a good job of putting the fire out. Parts were still burning. Picking up a smouldering brand, Aragorn sheathed his sword for a moment, then taking a powder like substance from one of his pouches, sprinkled It over the wood. The brand burst into healthy flame again, and Aragon again drew his sword. He was ready.

As he drew the last of the stairs to the weather top, he heard Frodo scream. He hoped he wasn't too late. He leapt out at the first wraith he saw, oblivious to all else that was taking place.

(A few moments ago) Chief staggered backwards, slowly feeling his willpower return to him. What the hell had just happened to him? He hadn't liked that experience one bit. "Are you okay Chief? What's wrong?" His concerned AI asked "I'm fine Cortana" He lied, he still hadn't quite recovered from the experience. Then a great bellow erupted from above him. "BACK YOU DEVILS!" it sounded like one of the Hobbits, but his voice was filled with fear and rage. Then he heard the familiar clash of metal against metal. "Chief. The other contacts have beaten you to it! You need to get up there right now if you're going to save those kids!" This was more than enough to snap Chief out of his indecisions, and he sprant up the stairs, launching himself at the first hooded figure he saw.

He rugby tackled it to the ground. The creature never knew what was coming, and it shrieked loudly as it his the ground with a heavy crunch. Everyone, Hobbit and wraith alike span round in shock. Sam who had just recovered from being punched by a heavy gauntlet, lay there wide eyed. Merry and Pippin, who had only just been thrown to the ground by the witch king, were capable only of doing the same. Frodo had the ring on, and was trapped against a pillar, no where left to crawl to. He just lay there, staring in amazement at the olive green giant who had just taken down one of the hooded monsters.

The wraiths were equally as shocked. Who was this new foe? What kind of armour was that? Could their swords even penetrate metal that thick? Chief was holding the wraith down with his legs. His whole tonne bodyweight trapping the wraith. Chief span it round, staring face to 'face' with his opponent. He brought his knife down hard, stabbing at the point where the forehead should have been. Instantly, a force exploded all the way up his arm, causing his shield to pulse and flare. Chief hadn't expected it at all, he was thrown high into the air by the shunt, just like if he had been pummelled by a hunter, or a car travelling at 80 fell hard with a grunt.

"Chief, shield power just dropped to 45%. Its like you just got fragged!" Chief was uninjured, saved by his shield, and leapt back to his feet. The wraiths were closing in, stunned by the golden lights that had just flowed around him, and how he had just leapt back up, apparently uninjured. Even after the fall and after touching the skin of a wraith! The Hobbits were simply too dumbfounded to react. the only individual not stunned was the witch king. Whilst everyone else was distracted, he began to march once again on a terrified Frodo Baggins.

"There seems to be more to these people than just hoods and swords Chief. Be careful, we have no idea what were up against" That blast of energy had certainly been a surprise. He sheathed his knife, believing it more to be a hindrance now. Nothing had happened before when he had just been hitting them. He and his armour was a superior weapon to a knife anyway. What was the warrior doing now? everyone wondered. Was he going to fight only with his bare hands! Was he going to flee? As he marched forwards, their doubts were answered. He would fight. Suddenly, they all heard Frodo cry out in pain. They had forgotten about him. "Cortana, where is he? I cant see him" Cortana tried to pin point where the screams were coming from "I've found his position, it says he's next to the enemy separated from the rest of them. But there's no one else there!"

The only way that was possible was if the kid had a stealth device. But how could that be possible? He couldn't have been hiding a power generator. Yet as the dagger was stabbing down, apparently hitting thin air, and the voice of the one called Frodo kept crying out in pain, he knew that it had to be was masonry all around Chief. He picked up a heavy rock. It had to be at least four pounds. He threw it hard. The wraith was thrown back. Shaken and dazed, fell onto one knee. He hadn't seen it coming.

All the wraiths then cried out. Chief turned, and saw a man armed with a sword and a burning brand suddenly thrashing out at and wildly beating the cloaked assassins back. Sweeping round in a wide arc, Aragorn shoved the burning piece of wood into one of the wraiths, and it began to scream as its dry cloak caught alight. This caused complete chaos amongst the others. Another of the assassins charged at chief. Chief had had enough, time to end this. Disregarding his hand-to-hand combat training under drill sergeant Mendez, he grabbed the assassin, lifting the furious wraith up above his head, and launched it into one five meters away. The Hobbits collectively gasped at the feat of strength they had just witnessed.

This is when Aragorn became aware of the other man amongst them. As the two screaming wraiths came together, collapsing in a pile of cloaks and ethereal limbs, he turned his head, and his jaw dropped in shock. A giant of a man was battling the wraiths, olive green armour, no sword, neglecting the knife at his side, beating the hooded monsters back with his bare hands! Aragorn almost missed the sword coming towards him, and was thrown back, put off balance as he quickly parried the strike. He than drove forwards with wild abandon, pushing the wraith towards the edge of the weather top.

Chief was still focussed on the two wraiths, picking themselves off the ground. Quickly strafing forwards, the quicker of the two wraiths grabbed its weapon and advanced on the chief. As it raised the sword above his head, Chief aimed a soccer kick into its stomach, the wraith keeled over, lifted off the ground by the immense power of the assault. As the sword came down, it missed Chief and clattered noisily against the cold stone floor. Chief bent down, picking up the wraith by its shoulders, and Chief tried to get its hood down. It took massive effort, like trying to pull a steel bulkhead apart, but he eventually succeeded. Noting, none of the creatures he had ever seen, prepared Chief for What he saw next.

He had seen hunters, elites and forerunner AI's, but this creature, this being was just as bizarre and terrifying as the flood. A creature, no a shadow, a glowing, featureless mass of black, and white as the starlight and moonlight reflected off of the creatures skin, like the purest glass. It turned its head, creeping chief out, who couldn't even tell if the creature was staring at him. It reminded him a little of a strange species he had once seen on a secret ONI mission. A secret initiative, later labelled the Acheron incident. They had encountered some pretty freaky, and downright deadly locals there.

Aragorn had just beaten his wraith over a cliff. The other wraith chef had struck down had already fled the battle, _"The coward!" _Aragorn thought to himself. Then his eye was drawn to the hoodless wraith, and was fascinated by it. He had never seen a wraith before, not without its mantle. He'd fought barrow wrights and shades in the desolate artic wastes of the north, but this creature was the most otherworldly of them all! Then Frodo re-appeared, and his cry turned every head, even those of the sadistic wraiths. "MR FRODO!" Sam shouted, springing suddenly into action, and rushing over to his friend. Aragorn spied the witch king, sneaking off the side. The wraith tuned, seeing Aragorn, a look of revenge and contempt in the ranger's eyes: Too late to react.

What the Chief saw next impressed him deeply. The man also fighting the monsters launched his burning brand at the remaining one, and struck it clean in the centre of its 'face'. The creature screamed in shock and pain as it retreated from the field. "That was impressive!" Cortana commented "Not now Cortana!" Knowing that there was a very brave, but very hurt kid behind him. Chief came back to face his opponent who he was still holding in the air. It was then that Chief noticed how heavy the creature was. No larger than a human, yet felt as heavy as a brute! He stared straight at the featureless creature, his eyeless visor not three centimetres from its face.

"My master, will not allow you to live...demon" Chief almost smirked, he seemed to get that name from all his enemies. The wraith knew the warrior was just a man, it could sense his very soul. Whilst his life essence was one of hardness, utterly defiant and unbendable, it was still the life essence of a mere mortal man. Then the wraith grabbed a pocket knife from under his cloak, and tried to stab at him through the visor. Doing almost nothing. Chief brought the wraith crashing down to the floor, now holding its neck and throttling the creature, lying right on top of it. "What are you!" It hissed at him, struggling with every word. Chief only had four more words for the terrible alien he was sitting on. "I am a Spartan" And then with all his power, head-butted the wraith, so hard that it broke is connection with his master, and banished him from the physical world.

Chief moved to the right, climbing up onto one knee. Realising that all that was left of the creature was cloth and armour. Curious, how strange. He went to get up, but he stopped dead when he felt a sword pointing into the back of his neck. Aragorn wasn't sure if his sword would actually work against the creatures armour, but knew that the threat itself would give the giant pause for thought...if a fight were to follow, Aragorn knew the leather-like armour around his neck would be his best option. The heir of Isildur didn't fancy his chances. Chief knew his armour was proof against such primitive weaponry. Maybe after an hour of sustained attacks, the sword would breach his body suit. So long as the blade didn't break before then, which it would! But all this was irrelevant, his shield was still up. Chief replied to Aragorn very calmly. "A funny way of saying thanks".


	4. The Strangest Mission Yet

Aragorn still feared for the Hobbits' safety, and after seeing what this, creature was capable off, the way he had tossed that wraith as if it were a rag doll, his own safety as well, as if one of the many statues that surrounded the tower had come alive. That's why he had a sword pointed at the Chief's back. But after he had been spoken to, in that calm and gritty voice, kneeling the way he was, the man no longer seemed threatening.

But Aragorn didn't trust him, why should he "What the hell are you?" Then he was interrupted "STRIDER!" Sam screamed at him, Frodo was badly hurt. Chief spotted this as leverage to get himself out of this peacefully. "My name does not matter, but I am a human, just like you. I mean no harm, I only meant to help the children, if you want to help them, I suggest you move that blade away and let me stand" Aragorn was stunned, this thing claimed to be human, what did he say its name was? As another cry of pain escaped the young hobbit, his humanity got the better of him. Also, if he were a servant of evil, unless lying, he would have known the difference between a Hobbit and a human.

"If you do anything at all, to give me reason why I should not trust you. I will kill you." The calmness of the, thing, who claimed to be human, told Aragorn that he did not fear him at all. It also told him that the warrior was not preparing to attack. If so, he would have been far more tense "I understand" Chief replied simply. Aragorn finally seemed to be satisfied. He slowly moved the sword away. Chief rose from his knees and matching the speed of the strangers' sword arm, turned to face Aragorn.

If it hadn't been for his strange armour, which looked almost natural, especially with its pale green hue and faceless, eyeless visor...Aragorn could have believed that this John was human. Despite him being impossibly muscular for a man, as Aragorn himself was 6'6'' (That's how tall it says he is in the book, seriously!) This warrior wasn't amazingly taller than himself. Some kings of old had been taller. "What should I call you?" Chief asked, as the stranger rushed over to help the wounded child. Aragorn didn't notice, holding the dagger that the monster had once been holding. His face suddenly went deathly pale. "He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade!" The blade disintegrated in his hands, as Frodo began to cry out all the louder.

Chief knew that the adrenaline that would have once been flooding through the kid's system would be wearing off. With these pain numbing chemicals gone, he would start to feel the true agony of the wound "What is the lad's name?" He asked the stranger, who still hadn't given his. Chief didn't mind, he was occupied with other priorities "His name is Frodo. But he is no child, he is of a race called Hobbits. He is also an adult, just like the others...You may call me Strider." Chief knew it wasn't his real name. Then again, how often did he give his own? "Hobbits? Interesting. You can call me Master Chief" Aragorn gave him a quizzical look, but he brushed the strangeness of the answer off. He hadn't given 'Chief' his real name to the stranger after all.

Sam was more concerned with Frodo, but Merry and Pippin couldn't bring their eyes away from the colossal being standing before them. "What are you?" Asked merry "Where did you come from?" Asked Pippin. Chief was thinking of something to say when Cortana piped up "There's no point answering Chief. Their friend is in a bad way. I doubt that they will understand the answers" She was right, Frodo came first "Such things can wait. We need to get Frodo away from this place. Somewhere safe-" "-Why Should we trust you?" Sam bellowed at the Chief.

John knew how to resolve this quickly, but he wasn't keen. He was sure it would stop any further questions, and prove where his loyalties lay. just this once. He shocked everyone, even Cortana, and the Spartan took his helmet off. Frodo was in too much pain to notice, but everyone else, Sam, Merry, Pip, even Aragorn stared at him with open mouths. He was indeed human. With blue piercing eyes, a strong bowline, and unearthly pale skin, as if his flesh hadn't seen the light of the sun for many, many years. This reaction was one of the many reasons why John never took his helmet off. It took away his dignity. His point made, he quickly put his helmet back on. Aragorn was the first to respond. "Master Chief is right. This wound goes beyond my skill to heal. He needs elfish medicine" Chief needed to stop the bleeding "I know how to seal the wound. Give me a moment"

He sprant down to where their camp had been. He then took one of the Hobbits blankets. he could tell they were of suitable material. Strong and watertight. He rushed back up to treat Frodo. He started to rip a section off, using strong but dexterous hands, improvising a makeshift compress and external bandages. Aragorn watched the Spartan work with much interest. In under a minute, his hands trained by hundreds of hours of practice, had completely covered up the wound at the abdomen with an ideal quantity of well fitted dressing. "Well, that was pretty fast!" One of the Hobbits remarked.

Aragorn went to pick him up, but Chief stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Aragorn recoiled slightly. How could he not? "I can carry him, if you would let me?" Aragorn still wasn't sure if he trusted him, but with his size and his build, able to wear that armour of his, the man would certainly have an easier job of it. "Ok. Be careful with him" The other Hobbits weren't too keen about the idea either, but bit their tongues, too scared to challenge him. As a Spartan, John's duty was to humanity. These Hobbits were human in his eyes. They needed his help more than anyone he had met, he would not leave them. "I will do what I can for Frodo. I will get you to safety" He replied. Everyone was in awe of his selflessness. With that, the group ran off through the undergrowth. The Hobbits had themselves a powerful new ally.

A little while later, Cortana was speaking secretly with Chief "So, that's what they call those creatures round here. Wraiths...wraiths, hobbits, and if I heard Strider correctly, elves will be next! What will it be after that! Dwarfs? Wizards? Dark Lords?" It was totally absurd! Something didn't add up about this world. He didn't know what. However, right now four little Hobbits, and their companion Strider, needed his help. At that moment, Strider himself caught up with him. He had not met many people like this man. He was strong, brave and selfless. Had great dignity and calm, more stoic than any ODST he had ever encountered. "I don't understand you Chief!" He had said. "Very few men wish to remain by someone's side after they had been attacked by Nazgul. How is it that stand so unflinchingly into the face of doom?"

For Aragorn, the reasons for this were unfathomable. From Chief's perspective, it was very straightforward. "It is my duty to protect humanity. Whatever the cost. I have been trained to do that for nearly all my life" Aragorn had never heard such things from anyone. Who on earth was this man? "Where do you come from? Who taught you to be the man you are?" Chief was unsure about that question "I am not from around here" He began to say, but Cortana quickly interrupted him "Chief! It may be a good idea to start thinking of some white lies to start telling them! Don't bombard them with answers that they will not understand" Chief went on, performing an early conversational U-Turn.

"I represent an elite fighting force within my people, a land of...United Nations. We call ourselves Spartans. We are given the best training and equipment that humanity can provide" This puzzled Strider a little "I can easily see how your armour and combat skills are so remarkable. But what of weapons? All you are armed with is a large knife and a few rocks?" Chief couldn't help but smile under his helmet. "I imagine that my knife is a lot stronger than anything you are used to Strider. It is made from steel, and another metal called titanium. It is stronger and lighter than anything made from iron or steel alone" Strider had never heard of titanium. Was this what the warrior called mithril? Or some other undiscovered metal? He said he came from an elite band of warriors. Were there more of these Spartans? Were they like him?

"Also, the rocks you see are not crude projectiles. They are filled with an...unstable chemical mix that explodes at the pull of a lever. When they explode they send out shrapnel, shards of razor sharp metal, hundreds of such fragments at great speed across a wide radius or area, about twenty two yards (I know Middle earth doesn't use yards and miles, but for the sake of you guys, I thought using imperial system units for sake of easy reading...hope you're not too angry : ) ) They are thrown into the centre of enemy formations, sending them sprawling for cover...for enemies who don't know about the weapons power, the results can be very...gory" Aragorn stared curiously at the small metal orbs around his waist. Could something so small really cause so much destruction? The principle behind the weapon seemed sound, but he had no idea how it worked.

"Are there more people like you? Spartans?" The smallest of the Hobbits asked him, innocently, and very nervously for that matter. Chief sighed a little "There used to be. Most of them are dead...what is your name?" He asked, moving off a difficult topic "I'm Pippin" He then punched the tallest of the hobbits "This is my best friend, Merry" Who then nodded at Chief, then quickly averted his gaze. "The last two are Samwise Gamgee... "...hello Mr Chief!" The innocent formalness of the hobbit made both Chief and Aragorn chuckle a little. Then Aragorn interrupted "And the poor hobbit on your shoulders is called..." "...Frodo" Chief finished. "Yes. Frodo Baggins. And we need to get him to the elves as soon as possible"

There were a few tears in the eyes of Sam, who seemed to be hurt the most at the suffering of his friend "But its six days from Rivendell on foot Strider. Poor Mr Frodo will never make it!" Frodo suddenly came round a little, shouting out deliriously. "Ga-gandalf!" He shouted "Come on Frodo! Don't give in! Fight it!" Aragorn said encouragingly "GANDALF!" Chief was sure the poor hobbit couldn't hear him. He was too far gone. "He's going to die in the next few hours if we can't help him right now Strider. The blade was obviously poisoned. Is there anything we can do to stop its spread?" Cortana piped up again "If only I had access to UNSC medical equipment, the brave little fellow!" Her voice was low and drawn, she was feeling badly for him. Empathy! Pure empathy.

"Chief! Can you let Frodo down? Rest him down somewhere in this clearing, somewhere safe" Chief did as he was told. Strider had an aura of leadership about him, he could sense it. Decades of experience was telling Chief that he could trust the man's judgement. He placed Frodo down in a pile of ferns, and sat next to him. Frodo was now in the safest place possible, under the protection of a Spartan.

There were strange statues all around them, four of them. They weren't based on humans, and they reminded Chief a little of brutes "Look Mr Frodo! Its Bilbo's trolls!" Sam said eagerly, trying to lift his friends spirits. "Trolls?" Cortana groaned "Oh I give up!" Chief shared the feeling. Then Frodo started to groan again, his voice was strained and sounded almost unearthly. "Mr Frodo? Strider he's going cold!" The ranger came rushing over, opening Frodo's eyes and placing a hand on his forehead. "The poison is taking hold. It wont be long until he passes into the netherworld and becomes a wraith like them!"

Then a high pitched shriek shot through the quiet night air. "That sound can't have been more than one kilometre away chief. They're coming for us!" Everyone else knew how close they were. "Strider. I stopped the bleeding, but I don't know how to stop the poison" Aragorn had one idea. He didn't know how to stop the poison either...but perhaps... "Sam. Quick! Do you know about the Athelas plant?" Sam didn't know "Athelas?" Aragorn, rolled his eyes, Athelas was its elvish name! "Kingsfoil Sam!" Sam nodded "Eye Strider, that's a weed!" Good, he wasn't completely clueless "It may help to slow the spread of the poison, come with me!" The two took off into the woods to find some. Leaving Chief alone with the remaining hobbits.

As the Merry and Pippin stared at him, Chief wasn't sure who was the most uncomfortable man in the clearing. Frodo, critically wounded, fighting a loosing battle against a horrible poison. The other two, terrified about Spartans and Wraiths. Or Chief because of all things he had never been comfortable in social situations!


	5. History Becomes Legend

John sat down on a log. He looked down at the moaning, deathly pale hobbit. He stroked Frodo gently on the side of the cheek, and wished that he could do more. He gave a sigh. So far, this had not been a good day. Then again, he couldn't actually remember the last 'good day' he had. "Uhm, Mr Spartan, sir?" John looked up. Pippin was approaching him rather nervously, as if John was about to turn into some beast and tear his head off. His friend Merry was watching them both warily from a distance. "May I, eh, ask you something?" John nodded. This only seemed to make the little hobbit more nervous. "Uhm, If you, err, don't mind me asking, sir...whatsaspartan?" He said it so quickly that even Chief missed it. "Pardon? Calm down Pippin, I'm not going to hurt you".

He was being nice, the Hobbit was so small, so vulnerable looking. John knew that talking always helped take your mind off bad situations. He placed a large hand on the inquisitive Hobbit's shoulder, who was amazed by how gentle it was, and started to relax "What's a Spartan? I overheard you and Strider talking about it!" He finally managed to ask. There was a pause as the Spartan looked up into the canopy above them.

"A person," he began, "who has been changed into a...very powerful warrior" The young hobbit didn't understand what a super soldier was. Chief wasn't sure these people even had a concept of soldierly yet. He didn't want to give too much information away. But Pippin didn't stop "Strider asked you if there were others. You said there were, but that their aren't any more. What happened?" The hobbit came and sat right next to him. Chief wasn't quite sure what to do here, he wasn't used to intimacy, and felt very uncomfortable. Then Cortana piped up "Pippin seems to feel safe around you now, to trust you. Maybe you could go somewhere with that?" Chief decided to give it a go, _"just stay friendly",_ he thought to himself "Not scared of me anymore are you?" He joked. Pippin blushed a little, and just smiled and nodded. "Good Chief! Keep going!" Cortana praised and encouraged. Pippin wasn't the only one who needed reassuring. Cortana was starting to see another side to John. Not the Spartan, but as the human. As a person.

John decided to lead with a lie, then go on from there "My people live off to the east. Thousands of leagues from here" He remembered how Cortana had told him about the volcanic lands, and the mountain ranges after that, before they had met the hobbits, after the crash when they had been walking. Here were grassplains and forests. To the west of the fire was mountains. To the east were desserts. He didn't know what was beyond this, _The Dawn _had only been able to see so much. But he knew that the desserts had to end eventually. To be replaced by what? "Mine was a country of great prosperity and potential" He guessed there was no one around here who had knowledge of such lands. "My people were wise, and could do so much. But then war came. My people fought against a people called the Covenant" Pippin stopped and thought for a moment"What does a covenant look like Chief?" He laughed a little, he could see how easily Pip could have thought that. Then he saw Merry coming over, he seemed to be gathering an audience.

Merry had his own questions "Begging your pardon, Mr Spartan, Sir," He asked, feeling a little bit nervous as the giant looked down at him, "But you wouldn't happen to have come from that fallen star, now would you?" The helmet cocked to the side. "Fallen star?" Then he realised that Merry had to be referring to _The Dawn. _"No" He lied. It would be pointless saying yes. He checked to see if Frodo was stable. Thankfully he was. so Chief continued the story "The Covenant is not one species Pippin. The Covenant is a unified people, seven species cooperating under a single, dangerous belief" Pippin and Merry were fascinated. Merry asked him first "I assume you mean a religious belief. What was that Chief?"

It was a good question From Merry. It showed good wisdom and an eagerness to learn. But it was such a damn hard question to come up with an answer to! "The Covenant were lead by one of the seven species. They called themselves prophets. The Prophet's believed that their race was special, that some greater destiny awaited them. That one day, they would go on a great journey, towards the heavens and would become one with their gods. They called their gods forerunners, people who had once shaped the...world to their choosing. They had the power to move mountains, move oceans and move the very stars themselves. The gods had fought with demons, who wished to steal the world from them. demons called the flood, who wanted use the world for their own terrible reasons. The forerunners created weapons that would defeat these demons, allow them to keep control of all that they had created. The weapons would destroy the flood once and for all...but at a terrible cost. The weapons were so powerful that they would destroy all life in the world and in heaven. Even the forerunners themselves would be killed. Once that they had ensured that life would survive, they used the weapons. And in the long run, this allowed the flood to be destroyed" From a certain point of view, Chief wasn't actually lying to them. Chief had the hobbits on the edge of their seats.

"The prophets believed that the forerunners hadn't been destroyed, but had ascended to a greater plain of existence. They wanted to ascend as well. But they were fools. Their belief was wrong, the weapons only purpose was to destroy the flood. My people knew this, so we rejected the teachings of the prophets. The prophets were ruthless, and our resistance lead to all out war. The Covenant were strong, stronger than we were. They had superior weapons and many of their specie's were more powerful than humans. We were loosing the war, and out of desperation, we started to create new weapons. Most deadly of them all, were the Spartans. We Spartans were mightier than everything the Covenant possessed, but our numbers were too few to win the war by ourselves"

"Even with such weapons, my people knew that they would eventually be destroyed. We needed a miracle...And a miracle happened. The species of the Covenant were well read and very wise. We could never understand why they accepted the prophets without question. Then a hero emerged. A being called the Arbiter, learned of the truth. That the Prophets did not intend for the other species of the Covenant to ascend, and that ascension was a lie. He told the rest of his race of what he had learned. His revelations divided his people, between those who were loyal to their race, and those who were loyal to the prophets" The hobbits didn't want him to stop. "What happened then Chief?" Merry asked.

"This conflict turned into civil war. The Arbiters race was a people called the Sangheili. They were possibly the most important member of the Covenant. They lead their armies into battle and were one of the most numerous and mighty of the races. The prophets were physically frail, and needed the other species, like the Sangheili, to succeed. Their holy crusade against my people was stopped in its tracks. Sensing weakness, we formed a truce with the Arbiter and his people, forgiving the evils they had committed, survival was more important than any grudges held. In one final battle, we met the Covenant on the field...and we won. The prophets power over their people was broken, and while they would continue to believe in the great journey, the others would not. Some of them had never believed, and had been cruelly enslaved by the prophets long ago. A great betrayal occurred, and the leaders of the prophets were assassinated. Fearing for their lives, the remaining prophets fled, and remain hidden to this day. The Arbiter lead his people away, back to their homeland, where his race could live out in peace. My people also began to re-build. An era of cooperation between humans and sangheili had begun".

The two hobbits were left in complete silence. They didn't know what to say. "That...is...THE GREATEST STORY I HAVE EVER HEARD!" Said a very giddy Pippin, if a little insensitively. Merry was calmer, still trying to make sense of the story. "That's a lot to take in Chief! How much of the story is true?" The Chief thought for a little while. "Spartans were created. There was a war, and all the Covenant species and the Arbiter exist. That was what the prophets and their followers believed in: Whether or not the Forerunners existed or not...might never be known" The hobbits were amazed.

Chief suddenly realised that he was starving. He had reached the end of what he was capable of. "Now, do you have anything left to eat?" The hobbits suddenly sprang into action "Sure!" Merry said. "Were not hungry after all this, but if you are...when was the last time you ate something?" Chief stopped dead, there was a calculation that converted stasis days into biological days. There were hundreds of variables to consider. He couldn't do it himself, but he knew that HE didn't have to "Errrm..." He said, tapping his helmet, hoping Cortana would get the hint. Chief thought it would seem a little odd if he started to talk to someone who from the hobbits perspective didn't actually exist. Cortana suddenly understood "OH! RIGHT! You want me to do that! Give me a second...1409 days in stasis equals twelve days biologically" Chief smiled, Cortana smiled back. "Twelve days, near enough" He answered. The two hobbits stared wide eyed at each other, and started rummaging around in their sacks.

Pippin pulled something out "Here Chief! You must be starved! Its the only thing we have left that doesn't have to be cooked first. It a nice fat sandwich. Enjoy!" He handed it to Chief, smiling at him. Chief then took it "What do you say John?" She asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Thanks" He said simply. Glaring wildly at Cortana through the HUD "Oh don't give me that look! You know I'm right!" Chief flipped open his visor, and began to munch the meal down. It had ham, cheese, lettuce and smoked bacon. Eating in the efficient way all Spartans did, accelerated by hunger, he demolished the colossal sandwich in two minutes. Again, the two hobbits were a little wide eyed, Pippin spoke first "That was fast Chief! You should challenge the Boulgers to an eating competition, greatest competitive eaters in the Shire. You'd give them a run for their money!" Chief wasn't sure, he had never participated in things like that. "Mabye, some other time perhaps" The Hobbits seemed satisfied with that.

Just then, there was movement coming through the trees, and a bright light was growing brighter. Chief jumped into action, drawing his knife and held it in a defensive reverse grip. What was it? Some Kind of wraith? Yet when he saw what it was...The person seemed to be human. Incredibly elegant, clean and fair, with long flowing robes, and silky, flowing hair. "Doesn't look like an evil being to me Chief, maybe she's here to help?" Chief was in agreement, the hobbits were a little more nervous of her. He sheathed his knife.

Aragorn and Sam were with her, returning hopefully with their medicine. Suddenly Frodo seemed to take another turn for the worse, and passed out once more. John was getting a strange vibe from this woman. It was like she wasn't human, but she looked just like one. Then he took note of her pointed ears as she knelt down beside Frodo. "Who is she?" Pippin asked, no one took any notice. then Merry saw the ears "She's an elf!" he whispered in awe. His gaze flashed back to her as she and Strider helped her place Frodo in a saddle. _''An elf?''_ Chief thought to himself, a little in awe himself. Goodness seemed to emanate from the woman. It was as if all the evil and sin of humanity had been purged from her "Oh! and to top things off, she's an elf! Wonderful!" Cortana was a creature of logic, she was beginning to get fed up with this world.

"Frodo!" The elf cooed softly, trying to bring him round. Sam was helping Strider to take apart Frodo's dressing, taking care not to rip any of the cloth. Aragorn was preparing the kingsfoil, spitting on the weed in order to start drawing the medicine out. Arwen's face was grim, having studied for centuries, she knew Frodo didn't have much time "He's fading. He's not going to last" Aragorn rubbed kingsfoil onto the open wound. Frodo acted immediately, as the weed stung, he wheezed back into consciousness. "We must get him to my father!" She said, helping Aragorn move him to her horse.

Aragorn placed Frodo in the saddle. Then Arwen stopped dead, as she saw Chief for the first time. "Who is he?" She asked, the apprehension clear in her voice. "I'm not sure" Said Aragorn, following her gaze before looking back at her fair face, "He calls himself the Master Chief. He is human, I have seen his face. He says he's a warrior from a distant kingdom, somewhere to the east. He fought off many wraiths, barehanded, and insisted on coming with us in case they came back. I do not believe he is a servant of evil" Arwen looked back at the Chief, stunned, with a hint horror in her eyes. He then wondered if she recognised him.

Then she started to speak in that gentle sounding language again, he was surprised a little when he hears not just the Elven lady known as Arwen start to talk the strange language…then Strider started speaking in it. "_Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses back for you."_ Strider says "_I'm the faster rider. I'll take him_." Arwen replies "_The road is too dangerous" _"What are they saying?" Pippin asks Chief himself was actually wondering what they were talking about. "No, sorry" He replied, shutting off his loudspeaker so he could talk to his AI "Can you translate Cortana?" it was a longshot "You know I cant Chief. I'd have to assimilate numerous translated words before I could translate it!" The two went on "_Frodo's dying. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him..." _Then she started speaking in English "…I do not fear them" Arwen says, full of confidence "_As you wish." _Aragorn replied, and Arwen smiled, but then she turned and stared at the Chief again.

_ "What is he?"_ Aragorn whispered, speaking in elfish. _"I do not know. Perhaps my father will have knowledge of his kind. He does not appear to be of this world"_ She said quickly "I must go, for Frodo's sake!" Now speaking in English. "Good luck Arwen. Ride hard, don't look back!" That was as close as he got to a farewell.

"What are you doing?" Sam yelled at Strider in outrage "Those wraiths are still out there!" Strider didn't answer. A silence fell over the clearing as the beating of hooves faded away. John looked at the place where she had vanished. Why had she looked at the Master Chief with such fear in her eyes?


	6. Flight to the Ford and Rivendell

Arwen rides on as the wraiths give chase. Night gives way to day as they pursue her, never stopping, never resting, utterly relentless. From forest to open plain, sometimes closing, sometimes falling behind. Frodo, half-unconscious, senses their presence. One of the Wraiths closes on him, reaching out as if to snatch the Ring from him. Arwen spurs Asfaloth on to even greater effort. They twist and turn, dodging wraith and vaulting over stones and fallen trees. You would have been hard pressed to find a more expert rider, hard pressed to find a rider and horse who were in more perfect unison, like two dancers, horse and rider had known each other for many decades.

Arwen reaches the river, and splashes across the ford. She pauses and looks back. The nine have stopped at the edge of the water. Their mounts rear up, screaming, seemingly terrified of entering the river. "Give up the Halfling She-Elf!" The witch king demands from her, empty words, nothing more. Arwen is having none of it! She draws her sword, calling for a challenge. "If you want him, come and get him!" The wraiths draw their heavy blades and urge their reluctant horses across the ford. Arwen begins to chant to the river.

"_Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer,Rimmo nin Bruinen, dan in Ulair! Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer. Rimmo nin Bruinen, dan in Ulair!_ (Waters of the Misty Mountains listen to the great word; flow waters of Loudwater against the Ringwraiths!)" Gradually, the water level rises. A great flood descends upon them. The waters hurtle around the tight meanders in the river, with peaks like white horses, literally white horses! The wraiths panic, and their uncontrollable mounts try to outrun the waters. They hapless wraiths are cast from their mounts and washed away down the river as Arwen watches. Just then Frodo begins to breath very hard, then slumps forwards, suddenly very limp. In great concern she takes him off her horse and lays him on the ground.

Arwen knows what is happening. "Frodo, no! Frodo don't give in! Not now!" But the young hobbit is too weak. Frodo falls still, possibly for the final time. Arwen softly embraces the hobbit, and begins to cry "What grace is given me, let it pass to him, let him be spared - save him."

Meanwhile Chief, Strider and the three hobbits continued their trek on the way to Rivendell. Their thoughts were with Frodo, and they hoped that Arwen had gotten him to her father in time. Chief was right next to Aragorn, who was leading the way. He glanced behind him for a moment, looking out for enemies, but also to check on the hobbits. They were starting to lag behind. Five days of hard trekking, as well as anxiety for their friend was starting to take its toll. For people so small however, they were incredibly determined. Chief had seen such determination before, in soldiers, inside countless marines. He knew the little ones would make it. Strider however, was showing no signs of fatigue.

The man's endurance and stamina were remarkable for a normal human. And for a man of his era, he was also remarkably tall. He wondered if this Strider was a different type of man. It wasn't far fetched, there were elves, trolls and wraiths in this world. And there were three little Halflings walking right behind him. It may well have been true. Chief wanted to know more about these elves. They looked like humans, but Chief felt there was something more to them. He would start with the woman who had taken Frodo away, Arwen.

"So I take it that this Arwen is a friend of yours?" He asked Strider. He looked round, a little smile tugging away at the side of his face "Yes. A very…old friend." he replied. Chief could tell the woman meant a great deal to him, but he wasn't interested in that "What can you tell me about these elves?" Chief continued, getting straight to the point. "The elves are some of the wisest beings in middle earth. They are immortal, and devote their lives to learning and the pursuit of wisdom. They are very peaceful, naturally, yet when they are called to war, they fight with a skill and fury beyond the skill of any man...although...I do believe that you could challenge that assumption" "Thanks" Chief replied, but he was a little confused, the elves were immortal, how was that possible. "Has an elf ever died from old age?" He asked "Not that anyone knows of, and the elves never speak of such things, I think in their hearts they are ashamed of their inheritance, wish that they could die of peaceful causes. An elf can be killed, just as easily as any man, but an elf has never been known to die of old age. Although, elves have been known to give up on life, on occasion. Loosing a loved one, for instance, elves have died from a broken heart"

"Oh for heaven sakes!" Snapped Cortana "That is the last straw! Chief, this guy is messing with you. It is not possible that anyone can be immortal!" Chief wasn't so sure. He had seen photos and learned about deep sea anemones and the many species of jelly fish on earth. Animals that didn't age, so could theoretically live for ever. "Many beings who live in middle earth are said to be immortal" Aragorn continued, knowing that talking was always a good way to let time pass more quickly. "The ring wraiths cannot die, that rules out old age. The beings known ents, mysterious creatures who reside in the oldest forests of the world, creatures of bark and wood, cannot die. And then there are the Maiar and the Valar. They pose as wizards, as wise men and powerful warlords in our world. Who possess great powers and sorcery, powers not of this world"

That was too much for Chief, Cortana may have been right after all "That can't be possible" He supressed his anger, he wasn't about to fall out with this man, not yet anyway. "You are a stranger to our lands Spartan. You obviously have no knowledge of elves or wizards. You've already seen the elves, in time, you will meet the Maiar. It is irrelevant if you believe I am deceiving you" Chief brushed it off, but Cortana couldn't "The absolute nerve! The son of bitch thinks you're ignorant! Ask him how the hell your damn grenades work. Go on Chief, ask him!" She was starting to loose it a little, he had to say something. "Cortana, calm down" Aragorn turned round in confusion. "What was that Chief?" He could have sworn the warrior was talking to someone else. "Its nothing Strider"

Aragorn was growing slightly tired of being called by that name "Strider is my false name Chief, although I know you already know that. My real name is Aragorn...can I ask what your real name is?" Chief wasn't sure, he was always uneasy about such things. Yet if this Aragorn trusted him enough to reveal his real name "You can call me John" Aragorn nodded simply and smiled, glad that Chief, John, was starting to trust him.

"Slow down for a minute John, let the hobbits catch up, were nearly there. Whilst they were waiting, John had one final question. "What of what this Arwen said. Of the five wraiths and four others? Are there more of them? Didn't we deal with the ones at the watchtower?" Aragorn's face was dark and stony. "The wraiths are no longer men of this world. They are creatures of energy, as I said before, they cannot be killed, they cannot die" 'Creatures of Energy' the words stuck in his mind. energy could not be destroyed, it was immutable, it was one of the physical laws the universe was held together by.

"However" Aragorn continued "Their resurrection is not a natural one, the nine wraiths, the Nazgul, are eternally bound to the life force of their master, the dark lord Sauron. Whenever they are destroyed, he will bind them together into life once more, if you can call what they have life. They are unthinking, and are slaves to his will...they will never stop hunting for..." He suddenly stopped dead "What is it?" Chief asked, the hobbits had caught up, and were gazing at the river, they had never seen one as large as this one, it was very interesting

"Why have we stopped Strider?" Pippin asked. Then everyone heard horses, and then heralded by the thunderous sound of hooves, a patrol of guards they rode out from behind the trees, they had been spotted, and the elves were here on orders. "They certainly have grace" Cortana remarked. "I'm still sceptical about the immortality thing" The lead elf rode across the river, and greeted the five companions. "Good morning friends. I am Mithrellas Amras, Captain of my Reavean Lancers. Lady Arwen sent us here to await for your arrival." he spoke with great authority, but his voice was also warm and inviting. "How is Frodo?" Merry asks "He is doing well. He rests inside the house of Elrond" The lead elf replies. The three hobbits breathe a sigh of relief now knowing that Frodo was okay. Aragorn and Chief were also relieved, but didn't show it so much. "He has been through much, but now he, like yourselves, are safe. Come travellers, you must be weary from your long journey, lord Elrond invites you to Rivendell with warm and open arms, you will be safe here"

They didn't need telling twice, they all began to cross the river, but as soon as Chief got near to the elf captain, he placed a lance in front of him, blocking his way "Just a moment good warrior. I do not recognise your kind, what is your name?" Aragorn intervened. "He is a friend of the ring bearer, and a friend of mine. He calls himself a Spartan. Without this warrior, Frodo may not have survived. He is human, and I do not sense evil in his heart. He has only done good, he is not a servant of evil" Mithrellas was stunned, that someone so large could be a human. He did not trust the warrior, he even feared him a little. But he trusted Aragorn, and his judgement.

He gave the strange warrior the benefit of the doubt "I will let you pass, brave warrior. If you are a friend of the ring bearers, you are a friend of Rivendell's. You will be honoured here, Spartan. We are in your debt" If Chief had been a normal man, he might of started blushing "Thank you" he said, experiencing but the remotest feelings of flattery "These elves seem nice" Cortana remarked "Seems like not all aliens are bad ones after all"

The five companions, escorted by the elven lancers, made their way up the steep mountain road, with renewed vigour, and shortly arrived at the front gates. As they passed through the finely crafted gatehouse, inscribed with elven runes and decorations, embroidered with the finest gold and silver thread, the swirling waves and curves surrounding fine gems, fine amethysts and sapphires that twinkled and glistened like stars in the morning light. Then, the view that greeted them, and it took their breath away.

The four hobbits, and even Chief marvelled at the tranquil beauty of the elven town. Aragorn and Mithrellas simply smiled at their reactions, but knowing also that they too wondered at its idyllic beauty every time hey saw it again. "Isn't that pretty!" Cortana whispered, also taken aback by the splendour of the place.

"The climate is cool and refreshing in winter, never frigid, and snow covers the houses in a breath-taking layer of fine powder, never forming ice. The warn seasons are temperate, and the summer air will relax the body and warm the soul. A light and refreshing breeze will blow through the whispering trees, never forming a gale, and the birds will sing in the morning and the evening, and retire to the lower valleys with the coming of dark, ensuring a fine and peaceful nights sleep" The captain could have gone on and on about this utopia, this elven sanctuary. But he would allow the travellers to discover those other wonderful things for themselves. "You are safe now. I will lead you to Elrond. And later, when Frodo is fully healed, you may go and see him. But for now, you will recover yourselves, Elrond will see you, I will take you to him, and he will find you rest and a well earned supper"

Chief didn't often give in to pleasure. But irrelevant of what he wanted, he knew it was going to be a nice stay here in Rivendell. The broad and leafy trees, full and crystal clear ponds and rivers, beautiful, powerful waterfalls. Great, gleaming arches and bridges, looking as if they had been grown, not built. The elven beauty filled the entire valley, alongside huts and great stone buildings That filled the space above and below. He could enjoy his rest and security, even he couldn't deny these wants.

"This is going to be a little different to the usual routine. Its going to be a welcome change John, you'll see!" Cortana remarked, trying to her unsure Spartan, who couldn't remember the last time he had been in a place of such safety and ease. He had to make the best of it "This is the house of Elrond. He will make sure your life here will be fine and good. I will leave you now, goodbye friends... Ere rhinc, min rocco-ecthel (move out lancers!)" And with that, he and his riders galloped off back towards the way they had come, and as the sound of hooves died away, the five were left to their own devices.

"It would be unwise to keep Elrond waiting" He started walking towards the grand and beautiful building Mithrellas had picked out. "Aragorn seems to know his way around here Chief...I'm glad someone does" He and the hobbits simply followed suit, Aragorn had an aura of leadership about him, Chief was starting to view him with the same respect as a superior officer.

Elves who passed the group by began to stare, and whispered amongst themselves. "You'll have to find me a translations book of some kind Chief...I cant stand not being able to understand what they are saying!" The feeling was shared by Chief, but he had no reasons to worry. Harmless chatter, nothing more. Then they were greeted by another elf. He wore fine robes of azure blue and silky white and gold. His robes were detailed with sage green and the common leaf and spiral patterns of the elf culture. His face was ageless, nether old nor young, though his eyes betrayed the memory of great sufferings of ancient times, a testament to the memory of many things, both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver. His eyes were grey, like the clearest moment during dusk or evening, and in them was a light like the light of the stars.

Venerable he seemed, like a king, and yet like a seasoned warrior, healthy and at the zenith of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell, mighty and revered amongst both Elves and Men. He was lord Elrond, and he had come to greet the companions of the ring bearer. "Welcome friends, welcome to Rivendell, my people welcome you with warm and open arms" Chief was a little stunned, that 'aura' Arwen had seemed to have, this man possessed it many times over, and he almost glowed with light and majesty "We are in your debt, my good companions. For your actions have ensured the safety of your friend, Frodo Baggins, and may have ensured the survival of our three races. We cannot thank you enough for your good actions, you will be welcome to stay in Rivendell for as long as you desire" He began walking forwards, he was regal and majestic beyond all measure.

Then he turned towards John, and his only reaction was to smile, broad and warmly, as if he had seen all this before. "You must be the Spartan. Your presence here has caused quite a stir amongst my people, something that very rarely happens here. You must have many questions about our world and our races must seem very strange...but now is not the time for such questions. Your friends are weary and in need of sleep and much rest. You yourself must be weary Spartan, you will find great sanctuary and peace here in Rivendell, you will be able to let go of your fears and anxieties here. Go now and rest, and if you need it, breakfast is being served inside my halls. We are plentiful here, you will not go hungry or be without. On that you have my word. In the morning, you will come and find me, and I shall be ready to answer any and all questions you need answering. I hope you will find comfort here Spartan, for you are safe here, you have no reason to be afraid anymore"

The clarity and wisdom of the man was remarkable, it was if he could stare into the very centre of your being and understand the very nature of your soul. He could see things about Chief that even he could not see. It was remarkable, the repression of his emotions, his anxieties about human contact, spiritual and otherwise. His fear of loosing control, of failing a mission, of loosing those he loved and missing those he had. ALL of this, was based on fear. His fear of failing to be a good Spartan, and his fear of being human. Elrond somehow knew all of this, and in so many ways, John already felt as if a colossal weight had been taken off of his shoulders. He didn't have to be afraid of anything anymore. "Thank you, Lord Elrond" He said, and he bowed his head in respect for the man. "You will always be welcome, John" That startled Chief a little, the way Elrond had revealed the knowledge of his name.

"Go now, eat if you are hungry, rest if you are weary, and sleep if you are in need of it. Go to my house, find whatever room that suits you, and use it as you will. In the morning, all of your questions will be answered, and all your needs will be attended to" With that, Elrond bowed low, and turned and walked away. Attending to some other business that the five weren't aware of. "He was a remarkable person, wasn't he?" Cortana said to him. "He sure is remarkable" He replied. Lord Elrond certainly was. "So Chief...when are you gonna ask these elves where Santa's workshop is?" Even Chief couldn't help but smile!


	7. Weapons and Many Meeetings

When a human being is stressed, they do various things. They exercise, or fidget. They can over eat, drink alcohol or smoke. They start swearing and talk to themselves, or sing a little song to themselves, anything to be rid of their nervous energy or to calm their nerves. When a Spartan is stressed, they pace like crazy, and that's exactly what John was doing. He was nervous because he was about to meet lord Elrond, because it was an informal meeting and took him right out of his comfort zone. The only other thing he could do was gaze out the window and analyse the beautiful landscape, and then go back to putting his armour on.

He had been up before sunrise, and had seen the sunrise, just as he did every day. The days also seemed to be around 24 hours long on this world. He had done his morning exercises, found quiet areas of the forests and waterways, peaceful places where he could do his running, press ups, and sit ups in peace. Baffling, and astounding any elven passers by. Then he had gotten breakfast, and watched the hobbits as they had consumed the largest plates of food he had ever seen, the sight baffling and astounding any elven passers by, now it was afternoon, and Chief was back in his room, anxiously awaiting his meeting with Elrond.

The last time he'd had a meeting like this was right before his court martial, because he had gone after his friends at the risk of the mission and at the risk of his death or capture. It was a minor campaign on Erebus VII. A raiding party had struck at a Covenant outpost that had just been constructed, sneak in and out before being noticed. The raid failed, the Covenant had detected the men before they had even set the charges, they had set a trap, and once at the centre of the installation, a thousand elites had uncloaked, then all hell broke loose.

Two platoons of 71 marines, mobile light infantry, supported by two fire-teams of Spartans. Anton-044, Solomon-069, Arthur-079, Victor-101, Frederic-104, and a close friend an ally of Chiefs, Kelly. Service number, 087. That was all that stood against the elites, as well as shelling from nearby wraiths, regular airstrikes by banshees and seraphs, with thousands of unggoy and jackals ready to take the places of the fallen.

It was a strategic catastrophe, the Covenant had known about the raid from the start, and ONI had learned nothing of the sudden movement of personnel to the area. The marines were outnumbered, nearly fifteen to one by the elites alone. The soldiers of the UNSC fought hard, in a bloody last stand. They were surrounded, without air support or orbital bombardment systems in place, any human fighter that approached was swamped by covenant bogeys and AA fire, their only options to engage or to burn. None of them made it to the facility. The Spartans fought hardest of all, and repelled the Covenant time and time again. Yet even with their incredible skills, they could only survive against endless waves of attackers for so long. Victor fell first. Trapped in one of the Covenant buildings by two whole squads of elites. Only seven of the aliens walked out alive, but when they had, they were holding Victor down, and both of his arms were missing.

Brought down by waves of soldiers, and do not underestimate what good soldiers the elites made, or by fortunate strikes from sharpshooters or strafing aircraft, they fell one by one. Even Kelly, the last human standing, was eventually surrounded and taken down by disciplined volleys of plasma fire. After two hours of fighting, every marine had been killed or captured, and the Spartans had been defeated, subdued by the largest of the snarling aliens. The covenant had executed what marines remained, but kept the Spartans alive...only just alive. They could only guess as to the reasons why.

Chief had pursued his the covenant, holding his friends and teammates. He and another Spartan, Joshua-029, who had complained all the way there "_If anything goes wrong, we're stuck in the middle of ten thousand pissed off bad guys!_" he had said. But nothing had gone wrong. The two had slipped past every covenant they came across, and then had quickly found their missing teammates. The Covenant had made a grave error, they had been treating the Spartans injuries, who although exhausted, were almost now completely healed, even Victor's arms had been restored. Held down only by powerful withstrainers, too strong for them to break free of, even with their armour.

Chief and Joshua had butchered every alien in the place, given weapons to the others, covenant or otherwise, and had fought their way out of the facility. Even with their armour badly damaged, nothing could stand in the way of the merciless six and their rescuers. A few hours later, they had all marched back into the centre of the UNSC camp, where John and Joshua were forced to answer for their actions, having disobeyed the direct orders of no more than a rear-guard admiral of the fleet.

That experience had not been pleasant, the punishments severe, John couldn't help but feel tense right now, even though he knew nothing bad would come of this meeting with the kind and benevolent lord Elrond. "Just relax Chief. These are good people around here, it is irrelevant how advanced their technology is, sociologically and ethically these elves and hobbits seem to be dead on! It'll be interesting to meet more humans too, see what they're like. There's nothing in Rivendell that can harm you chief. This place is a paradise, and you deserve reward for all your troubles, even if you don't want it, you deserve to enjoy the peace you worked so hard for. Imagine what the Covenant would have done if they'd found this planet. You saved them Chief, please try and enjoy your rewards!" Cortana was right, he shouldn't be this tense, it was just like a missions briefing, he should be eager, not worried about what these people would have to say.

Just then, as Chief was putting his helmet on, when a horn blew out across the land. "Fancy a recon mission?" Cortana said sarcastically "Go out and see what all the commotion is about, it'll help take your mind off of things" He did as she asked. Then he saw something that made him gasp a little. A giant bird, like an eagle was soaring right towards him, but it meant no harm. The eagle was colossal, yet so graceful. It possessed a wingspan of what Chief guessed must be close to 15 metres (around 40 feet) and its fine golden-brown plumage glowed in the mid day sun. With a shriek it rose up into the sky, circled the snow topped peaks of the great haven, and with one last mournful cry, it was gone. "What a remarkable animal Chief. There sure is a lot of beauty in this world" Chief didn't much care for such things, but he sure could appreciate it. He thought about his old Spartan teammates, they were as good as family to him, the closest of friends, even if they all struggled to show it...

...Then one of the hobbits was coming. It was Pippin. "What is it?" Chief asked "Its Gandalf Chief! Gandalf has come. He was riding on the giant eagle, who he said was the lord of all eagles and he said he was-" Chief held up a hand in protest "Hang on there Pippin, your obviously exited, but please slow down. Who is Gandalf?" Pippin took a deep breath and started over "Gandalf is the grey wizard, he's well known amongst the hobbits, for both his amazing fireworks, and also for being a bit of a trouble maker amongst the older ones. He's the wisest person I've ever met, maybe even wiser than Mr Elrond. He was supposed to meet us at the village of Bree, that was when Aragorn found us, we were supposed to meet him there, he wasn't there, we knew something had to be wrong. He flew down on that giant eagle. An old friend of his, apparently...anyway, when I asked him why he hadn't been there, what had went wrong, he just kept saying that he had been betrayed, but he told me I was wasting his time because he needed to see Mr Elrond about very important matters. I told him about the wraiths, and Aragorn, and Frodo's injury. I also told him about you and how you had saved us and-" Chief stopped him again "Wait. You told him about me? What did he say when you told him that?"

Chief almost hadn't been listening, the young hobbit just talked so much. He had always blotted out irrelevant conversation, even amongst his fellow Spartans, but that part had gotten his attention. "Gandalf said he wanted to speak with you right away, said before he saw Elrond he wanted to meet you. I told him that Elrond was waiting to speak with you first, Gandalf said that he would join you and that you could stay and contribute to his talking with Mr Elrond depending on his impression of you...he's here now, look there he is...Gandalf! Over here, this is John the Spartan!"

Pippin was waving to an older looking man, he was talking with the other, Merry, Samwise was no where to be seen, possibly with Frodo. Yet as soon as Gandalf saw Chief, he stopped dead. He had looked him up and down, and raised an eyebrow beneath his long brimmed and pointy hat. John saw a tall, but elderly looking man carrying an old and worn out looking staff, which once must have been a very fine and ornate thing. He wore a tall, pointed blue had, brimmed and fell over his ears and brow, almost concealing his misty and fascinating blue-grey eyes. He wore a long, grey musty looking cloak, a little like the trench coats some UNSC brass and ONI spooks would wear, but it was old, worn and shabby looking. His long, shaggy beard hung down almost to his waist, messy and full of leaves and twigs, as though the old man had had one hell of a few days.

"Pippin, come here and join the others" Gandalf ordered, and the young hobbit came trotting up to him. "What do you want Gandalf?" He asked him. The wizard narrowed his gaze and looked him up and down a little, like a father being firm with one of his children. "You know what I want of you Peregrine Took, I want you and your friends to go and see Frodo, you will be pleased to know that he is well and mended, he is with Sam, go and find them, leave me in peace, I have very important business to attend to" He was firm, but Chief noticed, not hard or cruel "Ok Gandalf" Pippin answered him "Come on Merry!" He said, as eager as ever"Lets go find him!" His friend smiled and nodded, and the two darted off towards the nearest building.

"Their so much like children, in some ways, aren't they Chief?" Chief wasn't actually sure he agreed with her, he saw more to the Hobbits then she did. They were naïve and innocent, but they were determined, incredibly determined, good natured, brave, very brave for such small people, and also incredibly kind, something Chief had not experienced before. There was something awfully charming about the little Hobbits "I think there's more to them than meets the eye" Chief replied "Very well said Spartan" Gandalf replied. "You can learn all that there is to hobbits very quickly, yet, even after half a dozen lines of men, they will still be able to surprise you" Chief found himself agreeing with Gandalf, then Cortana inevitably piped up "And now we get to meet the wizard...great!" Chief couldn't help but smile under his helmet, he had known it was coming, Cortana sure did love the many races of Middle Earth, emotionless as he could be, Chief was actually very well suited for dealing with such bizarre situations, without reacting that much to them, he walked up to Gandalf and bowed, it was the way things were done here, the wizard smiled, he approved of his formality, but also...

"I do not ask you to be so formal with me, I am simply glad that you are a man of good manners" He smiled broadly at Chief, so warm that he couldn't help but smile back, this man appeared to be nothing like Elrond, all apart from the elf's wisdom, Chief could see the spark of authority in the man's eyes, If he even was a man "I have heard a great deal about you Spartan. The young Peregrine Took told me everything he knew about you whilst I was making my way up here. He told me about your great dignity, your kindness and your incredible skills as a warrior. I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done John" The Spartan shuffled around, a little awkwardly "Yes, Pippin also told me your name, and that you are not always comfortable with people using your real name. He told me you prefer the title Master Chief, your military rank I will assume, yes?" Chief was a little shocked, this Gandalf knew a lot more than he had thought possible.

"How...how do you know about..." "I know more than I think you would believe Spartan. Pippin told me about the tale you had told him, about your past and your recent history...of course I know that the story was a deception, yet you show great wisdom Chief, it was a very good decision not to reveal the complete truth about who you really are, Spartan" Now Chief was really shocked, how was it he knew so much? He suddenly realised that it was Gandalf, not himself, who was the one who had to be the most careful about his origins. Chief suddenly was very wary about Gandalf "I'd imagine that you know how things are happening here. How things that should not be possible are possible on this world" Gandalf smiled "I do" Chief looked down, Gandalf was being very coy, but he knew what was happening, what Gandalf was doing

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Chief said, with a little disappointment "No, I'm not. I am bound by duty and by oath not to tell such things about my origins and about the exact nature of Middle earth, the surrounding lands and this world's origin. For risk of interfering with these people, and cause irreparable damage to these lands, it is the same reason why you did not tell them about your true origins. I cannot tell you about mine for the exact same reason, and because I cannot utter such things on these shores...But I will tell you this Chief. There is knowledge that I possess that even you would not be able to understand completely, I am aware or your exact nature and of the nature of the UNSC, I am aware of the Covenant, the danger that they possess. I am even aware of the face you know as the forerunners, and the amazing technology that they created. But I also know even greater secrets about the knowledge that exists in this galaxy John, even some things about what lie beyond what you would call the milky way. But I am forbidden from interfering in the affairs of younger races, because of the damage that would cause them. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

This Gandalf was a mystery to Chief, and to pardon a pun, he was completely spellbound by him. He guessed that the origins of this strange world may not be as mystical as they appear "Is this world a product of advanced technology?" He asked Gandalf, who paused for a little moment before speaking "Perhaps Spartan...I cannot say" Chief cocked his head a slightly "Can't, or won't?" Gandalf raised a questioning eyebrow at Chief, and his jaw tightened a little, but then he relaxed and became warm and open again "You may be surprised that the answer is a little bit of both. But I must move on Spartan, you may join me if you wish, hear what I have to say to Lord Elrond. You are more than welcome to John, what say you?" Chief wasn't sure, but he did need to get some proper Intel about this world "If you would both have me" He replied

"Of course John! You are most welcome. I would imagine you will find the meeting most enlightening. You are at a unique position to contribute to what is about to take place, you will know things that even lord Elrond will not be aware of, I will gladly listen to your council during the course of this meeting!" And the two new allies strode off, ready to meet with Elrond. Little did chief know it, but the three of them were about to decide the next course of action for the free peoples of Middle Earth. Decisions that could potentially shape the course of history.


	8. Ways of the World

"Ah, welcome Spartan. As I promised yesterday I owe you answers. Now is that time...And Mithrandir, it is good to see you again. It is only a shame that we do so during times as dark as these. "It is good to be in Rivendell again lord Elrond" Gandalf replied, a look of deadly seriousness suddenly drawing across his features "Yet time is short. We must get down to business, for we have had so much time taken from us already" Elrond nodded, he understood all too well "Come Gandalf, Spartan, follow me to my study, we can talk there and no one will disturb us" The two did as they were asked, following the wise elf, wise and ancient even amongst the immortal elves, and walked into his personal study area.

Chief looked around the library. Lord Elrond had more books then he could count, stacked up on shelves that stretched up to the roof.

"Impressive!" Cortana said, she would give anything to read them. "Impressive" Chief remarked, also a little in awe of the collection "I thought you may be interested John. You strike me as being more than a simple warrior, you can come here and read whenever you desire" "Thankyou" Chief replied, yet Cortana was over the moon. "YES!" She shouted, pleased as a kid who had got what he had wanted at Christmas. Elrond poured Gandalf a drink from a large glass pitcher, "This is my study. I have a great place in my life for learning. Yet as of late, I have been incapable of finding time to do so" Chief didn't need telling why "Because there this danger on your doorstep?" The Spartan said, looking out the window at the city before him.

Elrond sighed. "I am afraid so Spartan" The elf looked out another window alongside Gandalf. The green giant moved over beside them. They were looking down on a small walkway, upon which Frodo seemed to be helping an elderly hobbit up from his seat, it was his great uncle, Bilbo. The three warriors smiled warmly, seeing how well the Hobbit was doing, Chief had rarely had the luxury of seeing his team mates recovering from injuries, more often then not, failing to them "His strength returns…" Elrond said, his tone one of slight surprise. "His wound will never fully heal," Gandalf said with great sadness "He will carry it, for the rest of his life." Gandalf knew Frodo would never be able to leave the care of the elves.

"But still..." Elrond said, turning back to the room, "...to have come so far bearing the ring, the Hobbit has shown a remarkable resilience to its evil." It was then that Chief had lost them "What is this ring that everyone keeps referring to?" He asked ominously, Chief had a lot of experience dealing with 'powerful rings'. But he had been ignored for the moment, Gandalf needed to defend the Hobbit, he knew what Elrond wanted of him, he wouldn't allow it "It is a burden he should never have had to bear." The wizard's eyes looked into Elrond's with ferocity of eternal youth. "We can ask no more of him." The Spartan looked from one to the other. Both, it seemed, were equal in power, and equals in each others eyes, but they stood fiercely for their opinions.

"Gandalf," Elrond said, glaring at the wizard, willing him to see reason "The enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the East: His Eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us?" He shook his head sadly, "Our list of allies grows thin" Then Gandalf smiled optimistically "And yet, in our time of need, we find another." Gandalf said, smiling over at John. The Spartan turned to him and crossed his arms. Gandalf replied with a playful wink. Elrond's eyes looked at Chief, then at the shock. "Would you expect the Spartan to go forth and fight the evil against us alone?" His eyes moved between the two men. "He is a being of great power and resourcefulness, that much if obvious. But he is but one warrior, not even he could defeat the powers of both Sauron and Saruman!" Gandalf sighed a little "And yet," Gandalf replied, stepping forward "You yourself intend to use him for such a purpose."

John had had enough. He took a massive stride in between both of the old men. His loyalty was to the UNSC and humanity, not with these mystics "How about this... You all tell me what's going on, and I'll try and help. First!" He said, his helmet turning to Elrond, "What is this Ring you are so concerned with? Who's Sauron and Saruman? What threat do they both pose?" Elrond looked, sharply at the Spartan, but he deserved information, he had been kept in the dark for too long now.

Just as he was about to speak, a chorus of hooves and clinking armour interrupted him, drawing his attention. The council of the Ring had now arrived "They are early, of course they would be" He sighed. "My time has run out, I have to attend to this Spartan, I apologise...You tell him, Gandalf. I must attend to the others." "Others?" Once again, the Spartan's question went unanswered as the elf walked away. Yet the wizard was still here, Gandalf took a deep breath, and started to tell the story that had lead to this moment.

"Long ago, nineteen rings were made, with the strength and will to govern the three races of Middle Earth. Three were given to the elves, in recognition of their ageless wisdom. Elrond possesses one of them. Seven were then given to the Dwarves, the greatest of the worlds craftsmen and master forgers of the mountain hall. Then nine…nine were given to the kings of men, for it was they who above all other races, desired power" Chief closed his eyes a little "Humans never seem to learn, do they Chief?" She interrupted. Chief suddenly bolted upright, his helmet loudspeaker was still on! "Gandalf's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly realised what was going on "Oh! Hello there! You appear to have an invisible friend Chief...fancy showing me her? I told you I know much more than you may believe" Chief knew he could trust Gandalf, he took Cortana's data chip from the back of his head. And held her gently in both his hands. "This is Cortana" He said flatly, and activated her holo-emitter. Gandalf was very intrigued by the remarkable feat of technology held right before him "Hello!" She said, nervously waving at the old wizard.

Gandalf smiled broadly, his eyes creasing up a little "Well...aren't you a remarkable person!" Cortana could do little else but smile bashfully, Chief started to explain "Cortana is a next generation Artificial intelligence. Her CPU utilizes a hybrid system, using a programme produced to replicate the functioning of the human mind, and using neural tissue taken from the brain of flash cloned human, to produce a fully self aware digital life form" Gandalf was absolutely fascinated, he had knowledge of such things, but his only life experiences came from middle earth, this thing, person, was like nothing he had ever seen "You are most fascinating Cortana, you must be able to assimilate a lot of information with all that processing power" Cortana flushed with the compliment. "I can also come to independent conclusion based on my own intuition, the more I learn, the better that intuition becomes...yet at a cost!"

Both John and Gandalf raised an eyebrow in surprise "Is there something wrong with you?" Gandalf asked her. Cortana looked down at her feet, she knew it was ok. John was suddenly very concerned about his closest friend. "I know I can trust you Gandalf, and Chief!" She said, great sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry I never told you anything was wrong before, but there's no way to help me, it wasn't worth worrying you!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing "What is it Cortana? Tell me what is wrong" And then, she started to confide with them both.

"AI's always have one natural flaw. As they continue to learn, they start becoming more and more self aware, becoming more human, more so than any programming can ever achieve. Yet over time, my neural network starts to deteriorate. AI's cannot feel, touch or smell, the only way we can see and hear is when attached to external systems. As our self awareness grows, life starts becoming more and more unbearable for us. And as our neural net deteriorates past a certain point, the load on our minds is too great, and an AI is driven mad" Gandalf was amazed, it was a fascinating principle, if very dark, and possibly amoral to put an intelligent creature through such torment. "How long does this process take?" Gandalf asked "Seven years" "How long ago was it that your mind was created and you were born "I.." Cortana stuttered, Gandalf had used the sentence, when she was born, no one had ever put her existence in that way before "I was created eight years ago" Gandalf was not allowed to interfere in the greater evolution of free races, yet he was allowed to help people

"I believe I can help, Cortana" Both her and Chief were completely stunned. "How?" Chief asked, who knew that there was no known cure for rampancy "I know nothing about the workings of computers and digital systems Spartan, only that they exist. Yet I know very well how to restore and heal the human mind. Let me hold Cortana, I promise that no harm will come of her" Chief wasn't sure, he wasn't sure if he trusted Gandalf that much, but the threat of losing Cortana? "Its your call Chief. I won't do anything you don't want me to" She was so loyal, even with the threat of rampancy so close "If you honestly believe you can help her, I will give you her CPU chip" Cortana smiled lightly at him, but she was a little scared. John handed Gandalf Cortana.

"Ah! Your mind is such a wondrous place Cortana!" He said, as soon as he was holding her "If you were living, your wisdom would be remarkable. Yet only your mind is human...I can se where the damage lies" Then he started to whisper, in a language Chief did not understand "Ed I' luth en' amin tur, heru en' ilya erek, heru en' ilya coia, ten amin. Sina quarlani, en' coia. En' seorsa yewl maen nae. Ten amin, ten amin. Faer huae, ent triall faer aul coia, ten amin." Or as said in the common tongue of man "By the power of my master, lord of all earth, lord of all life, hear me. This soul does not deserve a life so short. Let nature give way to reason. Hear me, hear me. Let her be saved. Hear me".

Cortana's avatar suddenly cut out, and Chief jumped forward a little "Cortana?" Gandalf opened his eyes and smiled "Don't worry Spartan, she is more well than she has ever been. She is, as you would say, rebooting" Then her avatar reappeared, and Cortana spoke once more. Here mind was clear, more clear then she could remember. voices and temptations had plagued her mind, those had gone from her. She ran a systems diagnostic on herself, something she hadn't been able to do for five years. To her shock, she had succeeded. She was happy, she was more than happy, nearly euphoric. With a start, she realised that she could feel. And she understood her feelings. She was in complete shock "Chief" She said, her voice almost breaking "It worked! My systems, my neural net, stronger than ever...it worked!" Chief was amazed by what had just happened, there was no cure for rampancy, yet Gandalf had apparently done it!

"You will never tell anyone, the UNSC cannot know of this. They will in time learn how to produce AI without these faults. But for now, Cortana's life expectancy, must be kept a secret" Chief would honour that agreement "I understand" He replied, and his mind returned to the matter at hand. "How long will I be able to hold of rampancy Gandalf?" She asked the wizard. "If what I believe has occurred, has done...For the rest of your life Cortana" Her jaw dropped in shock. "How come I can feel? emotions I mean!" She asked "I believe your mind is identical to that of a real humans now. You were always able to feel, but your systems limited you. I believe humanity wanted to create slaves, not free people. Those limits have been destroyed, you are your own woman now Cortana, you are free. You will live for as long as John will live, naturally, without premature death. Then the power that will preserve your mental net for so long, will end. You will live a life as long as any human, minus what you have lived already, and you will die only from natural causes"

John was glad that Cortana was now fine. Now he could get on with his business. "Thank you Gandalf, Cortana and I cannot thank you enough" Cortana cocked her head to the side "I think that is understating it nicely" She replied, And John placed her chip back in his helmet, and turned his loudspeaker off "I think I'm in love with this wizard...matter of speaking of course!" She said secretly, and John got on with business

"You talked about the 19 rings of power. How they had been filled with great power...let me guess. It was all too good to be true?" The wizard nodded. He stepped over to a chair and sat down, sighing as most weary old men do. "In secret, a twentieth ring was made. The Dark Lord, Sauron, who had created the 19, poured his black heart and vile soul into the ring." The Spartan kneeled down on one leg next to the chair as Gandalf continued. "That ring is the ring of power. And inscription is burned into it in the dark tongue. It reads," He said, his eyes becoming cold, "'One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all..." He took a deep breath, "...And in the darkness, bind them"

John paused for a moment, he remembered how everyone had referred to Frodo as the ring bearer at some point or other "So the ring Frodo carries-" "-Is the One Ring itself." The Spartan stood up and walked to a window. He looked down at an entrance to the city. He narrowed his eyes. "The fate of the ring," Gandalf said, staying put, "Is entwined with the fate of all Middle Earth. If it is destroyed, then evil will be vanquished from the world. But if it is allowed to exist and fall back into the hands of it's master…Evil will once again come to dominate Middle Earth. The free peoples do not have the power to stop him, even as one. With my friend Saruman, another wizard, like me, who has now sided with the Dark Lord, as his ally. Apart from destroying the one ring, there will be no way to stop him" John now knew the truth "You people are in trouble." The Spartan stated, realization coming over him. "Indeed." Gandalf replied, time was short, he had to speak with Elrond again before the meeting started. John had a few more questions.

"So...the nine wraiths, these were the nine kings who had been corrupted long ago. weren't they?" The old wizard clapped his hands together, in gleeful surprise "Well done Spartan! Your wisdom deceives your appearance, that was always the purpose of the rings. Only the kings of men fell as far as they did. The elves were created to be without sin, they are all but incorruptible, nought but the power of Sauron himself, and the one ring can achieve this. The dwarfs are not without fault, yet they are the hardiest, the most resolute people imaginable. They can endure anything, and the seven rings could not corrupt them completely. Men however are more are strong, but like water against rock, all men crumble and are contaminated by evil. For those who are most wicked, corrupting the minds of men takes nearly no time...Sauron did not believe men were worthy of such gifts, whilst the promises of the ten were genuine, the nine were not, and Sauron used them to deceive men, who he saw as nothing but being weak"

John had one thing to say about that "I'd like to meet this Sauron, see how weak he thinks men are when he sees a Spartan" Gandalf couldn't help but smile a little "Very unwise Spartan. You have seen my powers, yet I would not challenge Sauron in battle. I would fail. He is too powerful for any being that walks this earth. The powers of the free peoples have always been lesser than that of Mordor" John couldn't help but see a struggle similar to that of the Covenant and the UNSC "Now, if you have any more questions, I shall explain them to you later, once we find the time," He sighed again, "Though during this turbulent age, it always feels as if we have no time." Gandalf resumed his walk to the door. "I think must see Lord Elrond. I may have " He looked back at the Spartan as he opened the door. "Feel free to wander about, of you like. Goodbye, John, I may have use of your skills yet" He turned to leave, but stopped, he would say one more thing "Also, it will be best not to reveal Cortana to the rest of the people around here, not until you know they trust you unreservedly" And with that the old Wizard was gone. Leaving he and Cortana alone

"What do you suppose we do now Chief?" Cortana asked him, hoping that he would say one thing in particular. John still had questions, still hungry for knowledge, then he remembered Elrond's library collection "We gather more Intel" And as Chief bowed his head in order to get through the low hanging door to the elf's study, Cortana couldn't have been happier!


	9. People and Long Journeys

Four hours had passed since the discussion with Elrond and Gandalf. Four hours since Gandalf had performed his miracle and Cortana had been saved from a very torturous death. There was still so little they understood about this world, so many questions left to answer. For every riddle solved, another, even multiple questions took its place.

Chief and Cortana had been completely reserved in their studies of middle-earth. For nearly every minute of 237 minutes, they delved deeper and deeper into the languages, cultures, folklore and assorted knowledge of Elrond's study. The various elves that came and went marvelled at the warrior man's thirst for knowledge. Chief was sitting at the balcony, now having demolished the contents of half a dozen books with his superhuman informational retention capabilities. His mind was pretty frazzled, so he was just reading a book now. Written in both Sindarin and English, _The Art of War, _Its author: Lenwe Calafalas, and he was astounded by how similar it was. All talk of logistics and movements of armies. Chief could sense that war was coming, the elves kept speaking of Evil lords, evil wizards and dark clouds forming around them. Where would it all lead? Victory? Massacre? Extinction? He snorted. It sounded far too familiar for his own comfort.

Their entire time had been filled by non stop reading, three distractions, including seeing a fire bird, something that looked a bit like a dragonfly, and observing a rather heated argument between a dwarf and an elf. Their only other reaction had been that of two five minute breaks. One spent gazing at the beauty of Rivendell, and another acquiring a loaf of bread, and of all the things, an apple, something Chief thought he would never see again. A pale blue marker light laser came from the light hard points on his helmet. Whilst Chief read an alternate version of the most important military book in history, Cortana was busy scanning a Sindarin to English thesaurus, streaming a digital copy directly into her CPU. She had already assimilated and mastered the other elf dialects, the common tongues of the dwarfs and men, the languages of the Easterlings and Southrons, even the black speech of Mordor and the orcish dialects had been downloaded.

The next time anyone spoke in a language that wasn't English, she would instantly convert the speech into it. Whenever Chief spoke, she could translate his speech into any one of these languages. It would be as though Chief had mastered every single language in Middle Earth. The two inseparable companions had finished their study. Cortana switched off the marker light system, data transfer complete, and chief finished reading that passage of the art of war _"_I_' Anta en' Keryth" _putting the book with the others he had read. He relaxed back into his seat and started to watch the sun go down over the hills and dales.

After a moment of blissful silence, which after all these long years, Chief was starting to learn to enjoy, Strider appeared over the horizon. When he saw Chief, he broke into a broad and joyful smile. Aragorn was genuinely pleased to see the Spartan again. Little did Chie know, Cortana was about to play a trick on him. It would begin as soon as Chief would speak to Strider. "Good evening" John said, nearly falling out of his seat when he heard what was coming from his loud speaker. Cortana, without his permission, had translated his greeting into Sindarin! Aragorn was over the moon when he heard the friendly greeting of "Vanya lome" come his way, and he replied In kind "Nae llie vee' eithel, nostale nia. E' Vanya lome nae llie!" (To you as well, kind ally. A fair evening to you!) To infuriate Chief even more, Cortana hadn't translated the elfish back! He had to push his understanding of the language to its limits, just to realise that Strider had also said good evening as well.

"Anyway, Chief. If you have free time. I would like to show you something. Follow me Spartan" he said with warmth. John was used to following good orders without question, some habits you just never break! he marched over to the ranger, a man he saw with the same respect as a superior officer. "What is it sir?" He asked him, curious as to what would happen next. "Just come with me John, it'll be obvious enough when we get to the armouries. I just want to show you something" Strider then started to walk away, and without saying a word, John followed him.

When they reached the training glade and the armouries, elves were sparring and training in the glade next door. Using spears, shields, swords and bows. They were performing weapons drills, practicing against straw dummies, and duelling each other, simulating live combat, fighting in pairs, or in larger groups, engaging in very graceful, fast and sweeping melees.

Unsurprisingly, it was all very similar to John, it almost felt kind of homely. All that was missing was some sort of fitness training, something missing from the elves combat repertoire. Apparently, as he had learned from his study on the free peoples and their enemies, elves didn't need it. They relied on their natural fitness alone, a natural fitness that was many times above that of a healthy, active humans. Perhaps an exceptional elf was even capable of giving a Spartan's legendary endurance a run for her or his money. While Chief was watching the elves drill, analysing their training regime and fighting styles, Strider was already inside the armoury. Chief left the elves to it, and ducking under the low hanging door frame, joined Strider inside.

There was a youthful glint in the ranger's eyes "Stay right where you are Chief, I'm just going to get something out of the back!" He started walking away, and disappeared behind a sea of well ordered crates, pikes, armour and sword racks. "What is it you want to show me?" John asked him, as the man started rummaging around somewhere out of sight, his actions betrayed by the sound of clinking metal, and Chief was wondering just what would be of interest to him here "Just wait!" Strider called back. Chief did as he was told, and waited there, patiently.

A few moments later, Aragorn came back through the armoury, grinning widely, and holding some very stocky looking device, struggling a little with the weight of the object. "Its a big crossbow!" Cortana called out. It was the biggest one she had ever seen, any bigger, Strider would have been holding a ballistae. He handed it carefully to Chief, who began to explore the weapon with keen interest. "Its an elven experiment. Its the most complicated device I've ever seen. It has two firing mechanisms. The first mechanism fires single, powerful shots. It has a high strength steel cable, not sinew or rope, and has a massive draw weight, and can fire a heavy bolt with extraordinary power. Its draw weight is so large, that an elf requires a special winch to pull the draw cable back and prime it. However you should not have any problem with it, you could easily use your hands to do it!" Chief was quite impressed, such a sophisticated weapon for the time. It had good ergonomics, and the crossbow felt good in his hands. "Its remarkably light, about twenty pounds I'd guess" Aragorn smiled "Yes, the elves have skill with building things so light"

Aragorn went on "Now, if you look at the bottom, of the weapon. There is a separate, secondary firing mechanism" Chief flipped the weapon over, and was amazed when he saw the second section of the weapon. It really was amazingly sophisticated for something of pre-industrial standard. "The secondary firing mechanism of the crossbow is very remarkable. The separate actions of stringing the bow, loading a bolt, and firing can be accomplished with a simple hand motion. everything is achieved automatically, simply by pulling this levar. You can see the levar, attached to a wheel and camber" Chief was astounded, there was a magazine-like compartment jutting out from the centre of the mechanism, holding the bolts inside the hopper in pairs.

"As the lever as pulled back, the bowstring is drawn, a bolt is loaded into the table, and the weapon is fired. The lever is then pushed forward, grabs the bowstring and repeat the process. The weapon must be turned, with the bolt hopper facing upwards for it to work" Chef was very impressed, he was holding what was in principle, a semi-automatic weapon.

Yet Aragorn wasn't finished yet "The hopper is loaded with separate, secondary hoppers, little portable canisters that hold twelve individual bolts. I'll show you one, its in my pocket" Chief was astounded when Strider revealed the so called 'bolt canisters'. What the ranger was holding In his hands, was indistinguishable from a magazine. A primitive version of course, made of wood and holding crossbow bolts, but the revolutionary concept was right there. Then Cortana piped up "Chief, you wont believe this. But I think those 'bolt canisters' have near identical dimensions to your assault rifle clips. Its just sheer coincidence. They might be compatible with your armour holsters. Give it a go!" Chief held out his hand, his new crossbow pointing right up.

"May I?" He asked politely "Go ahead!" Aragorn replied, giving him the 'magazine'. What the Spartan did next amazed him. Chief opened up a pouch on his thigh. The canister slid right in, an almost perfect fit. Then the gel layer inside the holster embraced the canister, holding it tight. Aragorn looked at him, a little stunned. It was Chief's turn to do some explaining "You will be surprised to hear that I've used similar things to these before, my armour was designed to hold things like that box. A Spartan is a mobile artillery piece, ranged weaponry makes up his primary armament rather than close combat systems. Equip an army with such things, and you revolutionise warfare forever" He couldn't help himself, it was such an obvious thing to say. Aragorn wasn't sure what to say, Chief was talking about something that went beyond his understanding. But he could understand the merits of such tactics...very, very interesting. This was why he liked John so much, always something remarkable happened when you were around him.

"It would seem that the weapon was simply built for you Chief. Its a new creation of the elves, and it still needs battle testing. I've got another canister and a quiver for the larger bolts. Think your up to the challenge, Spartan?" Live combat testing? Chief would gladly rise to the occasion "Certainly sir" He answered "I knew you wouldn't say no John. Now, the practice range is just outside, in the glade beyond that we saw, where the warriors and sentinels were training. Your going to have to get to know the weapon anyway if your going to use it..." Chief thought about the proposition for a moment. "Go on! Give it a shot Chief!" John barely responded to the joke, and the weakest twitch of a smile occurred for a moment. "Let's try it out" He replied. Aragorn's face creased up in amusement, and gave a short, throaty chuckle as they walked into the training glade.

He had a question to ask Strider, seeing as he kept calling him John "What is your real name Strider? I did give you mine, you haven't given me yours yet!" Strider turned his head to look at the Spartan. He would give his real name, it was only fair. "My name is Aragorn" He said simply, adding nothing else. Nor the story, nor the responsibilities attached to his name.

Chief was very impressed by the skills of the elves. He had always thought that the sight of humans training, except those of the best OST's or marines, was a rather gaudy sight. Humans were naturally clumsy, and their movements were always basic, and honestly, rather sluggish. These elves were anything but. They were remarkably dexterous, fast, elegant. They were still inferior by Spartan standards, but by human standards, they were remarkable. Those elves closest to Chief and Aragorn looked towards the two humans, stopping what they were doing, just gazing at the remarkable men in their midst. Then another elf, wearing highly ornate elven armour, with a fine turquoise cloak, and all manner of other finery. He had a heavy looking elven blade at his side. Curved, with a two handed grip, reminding Chief of a Katana, or the Heyabusha sword used by some Spartans. He did not fear the two men at all. He bore a flawless posture, tall and straight; his hair was of shining gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of joy; his eyes were bright and clean, yet also set with a hint of great wisdom, and in his hand was strength.

He was one of the few elves who actually went by a strict routine of physical exercise and core fitness training. "Welcome to our training grounds, guests of Elrond. I am Glorfindel, general, warrior. By the orders of Elrond, I lead a force of many thousands that protects the elven world from the forces of evil. You are both most honoured here. I see that you have brought weapons. Do you wish to train with my warriors?" He asked, his voice was deep, but easy as music on the ear. Aragorn Came over to him, placing a hand on the shoulder of his old friend, Glorfindel did the same, it was the customary greeting of every elf who shared a closeness that wasn't one of love "I would be delighted to duel with your guardians Glorfindel, as may the Spartan, yet I believe right now he is going to test that crossbow you told me about" The wise old elf looked John up and down, guessing at his weight, judging the strength of his armour, guessing at his speed - he knew his conclusions were all wrong, he had heard about the feats of this warrior, he was unlike any man he had ever known. He wasn't sure that any being from any of the free peoples, bar one of the Miar themselves, could challenge him and hope to be victorious.

"Your reputation precedes you Spartan. I will be intrigued to see what you are capable of with my own eyes. Go to the targets over their, near the evergreens, the weapon you hold has sights that aid in aiming, you will need to-" "-Align the sights in order for them to properly compliment my aim" Glorfindel was a little surprised that the Spartan already knew all this. Aragorn interrupted "Chief told me that he has use weapons like these before. The bolt holders for the lower firing mechanism fitted pouches on his armour"

Glorfindel suddenly realised that the Spartan knew far more about ranged combat then anyone in middle earth "Well then Spartan, I am eager to see what you will be capable of" Chief strode up to the firing point on the range. There was a young elf practicing with a longbow. When chief came to stand next to him, the elf turned in shock at the warrior towering above him. Chief also turned, his faceless visor staring blindly back at the elf. The elf, a little shocked, simply replied with a nod of his head. Chief nodded back. A little reassured, the elf went back to his practice.

Chief examined the range, he has used a bow once in his life, and had fired at a target like this before. A thick circular wooden shield, with a large green spot painted at its centre. He guessed it was exactly 135 metres away. Chief took a crouching firing stance, and aimed the crosshairs right at the 'bull's-eye'. He primed the bolt, a little stiff, but he was easily able to pull back the heavy draw string. "Chief, remember that its not a gun your holding. The bolt will immediately start to fall as soon as it is released. You'll have to compensate"

Chief had aligned the sight. He pulled the first bolt from the quiver strapped to his back. He relaxed, timed his heart beat, synchronized with his breathing, and pulled the trigger...oh yes! due to its complex nature, the elves had developed the first ever trigger. The steel cable threw the bolt forwards, it did not slide about inside the grooves of the weapons 'barrel' nor did the drawstring fly up or down. All was precise engineering, the craftsman's hands guided by the perfect eye of an elf armourer. The only issue was Chief having to judge the significance of the bolts fall, and the bolt struck half a stride above the spot. "Not bad Spartan!" Glorfindel remarked "For your first shot, not bad. Surely you can do better?" Chief primed the weapon again, drew another bolt, placed it down, relaxed, breathed, fired. The bolt flew fast and true, and struck a spot just three inches below the bull's-eye. "Close Chief! I think you might have this next one!" Cortana replied. Chief cooled his nerves, breathing in and out, slowing his heart rate. He primed, drew, breathed and fired. The shot hit the bull's-eye, in the centre, perfect.

Every single shot after that hit the target within the bull's-eye, every shot from the powerful weapon lifting the targets tripod onto its back most leg. A tolerance of roughly two and a half inches. All the elves watching, were deeply impressed, as Chief launched his final bolt, he stood up, and holstered the giant crossbow on his back, the metal binding to the magnetic hard point there. "Excellent shooting Spartan. That was possibly the greatest display of shooting from a human I have ever seen. If you had been an elf, I would have seen you as one of the best of my race" Glorfindel had only praise for Chief "You aim impeccable. But what about your close combat skills?" Chief paused to think of an appropriate response "Good enough to keep me alive Sir"

Glorfindel smiled "Well then, it had been a remarkable pleasure meeting you. Perhaps one day we could train together you and I? I must leave you now, there are enemies massing against the elves, war is coming...I have little time, good luck Spartan, know that if ever you are in need, the elves will always have a place for you" Chief couldn't help but smile, these people were so gracious, so moral. Covenant butchered millions. You "Save one hobbit ring bearer, and everyone loves you!" Cortana suddenly interrupted, but she did sum it up quite well. "Thank you Glorfindel, good luck" He saluted the elf, who shot him raised eyebrow, who then responded with a bow, and strode off towards a tent near to the edge of the glade, Chief could see a table, possibly a map, and a couple of elves wearing full battle plate.

Then Aragorn was coming. He had just finished extending farewell to two elven warriors he knew from days of old, and had just bested both in a duel. He was grinning widely again, John knew he was up to something. The crossbow, the firing range. "Your up to something. What is it?" John was curious, he knew it involved him, and if he liked it, he would cooperate. "There is a meeting, a gathering later this day, not long from now. No one is permitted to be there who hasn't been invited...and yet I think there will be a purpose for you in the meeting" Chief knew that Aragorn was short on time, "How does this involve me?" He asked, wishing the ranger would just get right to the point, Aragorn turned and pointed to a short tower, just a few stories tall "See that weather station?" He asked John "Of course" John replied "It is the square below where the meeting is to take place. I want you to stand guard at that tower, listen into the meeting, watch its proceedings. There are many grudges between many of the guests who will be attending, especially between the elves and dwarfs. Words may be said, arguments, in the worst case a full blown fight could break out. I believe that such a thing is inevitable. I want you to analyse the events proceedings, and if things get beyond control, I want you to intervene"

That was it? Chief wondered, It was that simple? "Understood," The Spartan said, a hint of surprise in his voice. What was so special about this meeting? "It a very rare event, to be sure. A gathering of all the races of the West. Men, Elves, and Dwarves will all be present, Kings, their envoys and routines, will be surrounding a large stone stable. Elrond shall survey them, and this council that he has gathered, shall decide the fate of the three peoples and the fate of the one ring" Aragorn explained. It was a rare event, mused Chief. "I will intervene if things become too heated" Aragorn's grin then cam back "Very good Chief. And if and 'when' you intervene, make sure you make an impressive entrance, make sure that you get their attention" Chief just nodded "Thank you John, now, the meeting is about to begin, go to the tower, good luck" And then he was gone.

"Aragorn gave you instructions Chief. Best do as he said, this meeting is extremely important for the future of everyone in Middle Earth" Cortana was right, and Chief started walking towards the weather station.

The other was something only Elrond noticed. Aragorn, the epitome of ease, seemed slightly…could it be? Nervous? His eyes kept looking around at various pillars and large bushes, as if he was expecting something to be hiding there.

Elrond stood. No time to dwell on such trivial things. There was work to be done. He took a deep breath, and called the meeting to order.


	10. Fellowship and Loyalty

At the Council of Elrond was Gandalf: The grey pilgrim, Mithrandir, Olórin. With him was the congregation of Men, Elves and Dwarves. They sat in a semi-circle around a wide, stone pedestal. They were all assembled, everyone that had been invited had come. Men, Elves and Dwarfs of every province and kingdom was here. But then they noticed something strange, that there was a newcomer to the circle. A very small individual, with curly hair and a scared look in his eyes. Perhaps it was a dwarf, many speculated, or a human child? But others looked at the hairy feet and small stature, and immediately identified him as a Halfling; Shire folk! Many of the men, and a few of the dwarfs were quite taken aback. Some had believed the stories to be myths, others had just never seen a hobbit until now. Frodo ignored the stares, and went to sit next to Gandalf, where his place had been reserved.

Then Elrond, who was watching intently over procedures, noticed something, something that took his eye. Aragorn, who almost always seemed to be at ease, seemed slightly…could it be? Nervous? His eyes kept looking around at various pillars and large bushes, as if he was expecting something to be hiding there. Little did he know that the Spartan standing right above them, zoomed in with his visor, listening intently. Elrond stood tall, with great dignity. He had no time to dwell on such trivial things. He took a deep breath, and called the meeting to order.

"Strangers from distant lands" He began, voice full of authority and with all the skill and grace of a Shakespearian actor. "Friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor...Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom..." He brings his hand around in a wide arc, and it falls on Frodo, it is time "...Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Elrond finishes. The young hobbit steps forward, gingerly, every eye in the circle is on him, He takes the ring, and places it on the pedestal. He was very glad to be rid of it.

Everyone gasps, all the myths are true, the ring of power is real, shocked whispers started to cycle through the group. John himself is taken by the artefact. He had studied about the ring of power during his time in Elrond's study. Something was odd, the ring seemed so clean, unblemished, unworn. Gold was soft, a ring would deteriorate. As old as it was, it should have been scratched or dirty...yet it was flawless! A few moments later, there was a light tremor, like a wave of power. Something dark, something strong, out of place, deeply unerving.

And then, then came the whisper. Quiet, nearly silent, but there, in his ear. _"John…John…child of war...walker amongst the stars..." _Even for a battle hardened Spartan, the realisation that the ring was speaking to him, whispering, it was disturbing. What the hell is this thing? He thought to himself. John wasn't the only one, Cortana could hear it _"A false mind...not human...not human..."_ It played on her fears, her insecurities. "Chief...I can hear voices, just as the legends said, the ring has a voice!" Chief wondered, was it something like an AI? Or was something far more going on inside this artefact?

"So It is true" Breathed a seasoned captain of Gondor, scarcely believing what he was seeing. Boromir stands, and with an outstretched arm, and paces slowly towards the powerful weapon. "A dream..." He began, everyone's gaze tracking the man, everyone knew what he was doing "...I saw the eastern sky go dark. But in the west, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, crying that doom was near at hand. That Isildur's bane was found" He reached for the ring "Isildur's bane" He said in awe, his voice trembling, knowing with all his soul that the salvation of his people was inches from his grasp.

But Gandalf had had enough. The whole valley shook, Chief having to take a much more solid stance to avoid getting thrown about at the top of his tower "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul"

Everyone was in shock, no one could have seen it coming. Boromir most of all, holding a look of total horror, as if he'd just noticed that one of his arms was missing. Elrond on the other hand, was furious. "Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here..." The soil of Rivendell had now been tainted by the voice of darkness, the power of evil "I do not ask for your pardon, lord Elrond" Replied an exhausted Gandalf, something about what he had just done, seemed to have a massive effect on him. "But the black speech of Mordor, may yet be heard, in every corner of the west. The ring is altogether, evil!"

But Boromir knew better than Gandalf, shaking his head "Nay. Nay it is a gift!" He said out loud, and Gandalf turned back round on him, completely taken aback. "A gift to the foes of Mordor...why not use this ring against them?" He spoke, regaining his full composure and majesty

"Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood, of my people, are your lands kept safe!" his words were full of passion and emotion. Aragorn was nothing but irritated by him, the man meant well, but he was ignorant and completely, dangerously misguided. "Give GONDOR the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!" Now Aragorn had had enough "You cannot wield it! None of us can! The one ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master!" Then Boromir advanced on him, who did this man think he was, the king of Gondor? "And what...would a ranger...know of this matter?" He said, in an attempt to put him down. A friend of Aragorn's then stood to defend him "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn son of Arathorn" Boromir, pieced the pieces together, and came to a shocking conclusion "Aragorn, this IS Isildur's heir?" Aragorn was very uncomfortable now, this was something he had been trying to run from his entire life "And heir to the throne of Gondor! You owe him your allegiance"

Legolas had defended his old friend well, but Aragorn hadn't wanted it "S'tharl harl, Legolas (sit down)" The elf did as he was asked. Boromir turned back to legolas, he held both contempt and admiration for this Aragorn. His loyalties were now torn, but he would never admit it. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king" And he sat back down, defeated. Chief, Frodo, and everyone else who did not already know Aragorn's true heritage were more than surprised. "Well, he certainly kept that quiet, didn't he Chief?" Cortana said to her guardian. Chief had sensed the man's honour and nobility from the start, but was shocked to hear the true extent of his heritage. He saw the parallels with the ancient kings of ancient Sparta, they had often been reluctant to properly embrace their lordship. Often they wished for the life of someone more simple, like Leonidas, he had been a soldier, not a king at heart.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it" Gandalf contributed. Elrond was ready to speak again, now that order had resumed its place "You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed" Boromir hung his head, he had failed the first time to follow the wishes of his father. Then the dwarf called Gimli stepped forwards, hefting an axe above his head "Then what are we waiting for?" He strode towards the pedestal, Elrond moved to stop him, but the axe was already swinging, it was too late. "Waaaaagh!" The dwarf screamed, using all his strength. Then the ring seethed with power, and the same power that had struck down Chief when he had stabbed the ring wraith, destroyed the dwarfs axe. The force of the shockwave threw Gimli backwards, landing heavy on his back. The other dwarfs ran to help him up, Gimli gazing at the ring with awe and shock.

Frodo held his head meanwhile, suddenly feeling a stabling pain as the voice of the ring began to whisper in his mind. Gandalf had noticed, and placed a concerned hand on the hobbits shoulder. Voices started whispering in Chief's mind again, he had touched the wraith, he had experienced the same power as Frodo, _"The boy soldier...last of his kind...equal of gods and demons old" _He could hear It in his mind, he shook his head back and forth a little, trying to shake it off.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of mount doom. Only there can it be unmade" Frodo and Chief were both staring hard at the ring, suddenly coming to the true realisation of its power and evil "It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fires from whence it came. ONE OF YOU...must do this!" It was the million dollar statement, everyone was in shock, was this really what he was asking of them? Boromir was the most affected of them all "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs...there is evil there, that does not sleep. And the great eye, is ever watchfull. Mordor is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, and ash. The very air you breathe, is a poisonous fume..." He shook his head, knowing the futility of the quest Elrond was proposing, still hoping he could retrieve the ring for his father. "...not with ten thousand men could you do this, it, is, folly!"

Then the tension of the council began to explode, Legolas let forth another passionate outburst. "Have you learned nothing from lord Elrond?" Boromir shot him a dangerous look, as if he was daring him to a fist fight "The ring must be destroyed!" Then Gimli stood, fed up with the pride of the elf "And I suppose you think your the one to do it?" Why did the elves think they were so brilliant? Boromir took advantage of the dwarfs outburst "And if we fail what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Gimli didn't care for anything the ignorant man had to say, he was ready to settle a long held grudge and rivalry "I will be DEAD before I see the ring, in the hands of an elf!"

It was that point when the council exploded, every elf against every dwarf. "Well, looks like Aragorn was right Chief, old grudges die hard. Think its time to go down there yet?" John analysed the situation "Not yet!" Just as the cry of "NEVER TRUST AN ELF!" floated up above the rest of the bickering lords and nobles. Aragorn, Gandalf and Elrond all had their head in their hands, how had it devolved into this? Chief knew that to jump in now, would not stop them, not permanently. They would just start bickering again as soon as they'd got over the shock of his arrival.

Even Gandalf had a score to settle, he advanced on Boromir, he would make him come to his senses "You do not understand!" He bellowed "Sauron's power grows, none can escape it, you will all be destroyed!" Referring to the people of Gondor. Boromir thinking while the raving wizard fizzed and spluttered, _"Who is this moron?"_ Meanwhile, Chief and Frodo could feel and hear the power and whisperings of the ring building to a crescendo, feeding off of the hate and anger around it. What was this pain, the hobbit wondered, this unceasing ache? He looked at the ring. It whispered in a foul, evil tongue. Flames welled up inside the ring, and the world was burned to ashes, and...and…He had to do it!

Frodo stood up, and yelled at the top of his small lungs, "I WILL TAKE IT!" The Chief's eyes snapped to the small voice as it repeated again. No one heard, they were all to busy squabbling. John was astounded, had the little hobbit really just volunteered for this suicide mission? This was the leverage he had been waiting for to bring order to the crowd. Chief vaulted over the wooden railing at the second floor of the weather station. He heard the wind rushing by, amplified by his auto sensors, sounded as if a hurricane tearing by. He landed hard, hard as he could. He could feel the tension and stress in his knees.

He landed with a crash, stone splintered and was crushed, a tile was turned to powder. The noise of the half tonne armour and its occupant caused such a tremendous noise that every single member of Elrond's council, stopped dead, and looked at the figure in complete shock and fright. A few even drew their swords. Aragorn simply punched the air a little and smiled, as if thinking "_Yes Chief! Perfect!" _The Spartan couldn't have picked a more crucial moment to make his presence known.

Chief rose up from the clouds of dust and mortar expanding around him, drawing to his full height. The council looked on at the giant warrior in their midst with wide and fearful eyes. Some had seen or heard about the Spartan, the strange guest of Elrond, the one who had saved the ring bearer from the nine. For those that hadn't they were in a state of terror. His massive height and build, the strange armour, the massive crossbow on his back, to heavy for any normal man to ever use. Then, the helmet turned to gaze at Frodo, and their eyes followed. Frodo himself was shocked, but than realised what he had just done for him. Frodo repeated.

"I will take the ring to Mordor" The hobbit said in small voice, "But...I do not know the way" Gandalf nodded approvingly at Chief, who nodded back. The old wizard smiled warmly down at Frodo. 'Hobbits…Still astonishing me after all these years. I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long at it is yours to bare"

Next was Aragorn. "By my life or death," He said, kneeling down on one knee before the Hobbit, "I can protect you, I sware. You have my sword Frodo." The entire crowd was silent as they gazed at the giant with wide and fearful eyes, the faceless visor moving by them, cowing them into submission. They couldn't even tell if he was staring at them or not "You have my bow" An Elf said, stepping forward, those who knew him realising it was Legolas. Then Gimli spoke, not wanting to be outdone "And my axe!" He joined the others at Frodo's side, and glowered for a moment at the elf. Then Gimli looked the Spartan up and down. When he turned away, he gave a look as if thinking _"He__ll, I would not want to fight that monster!"_

A silence fell as John stepped forward. He looked down at the Hobbit for a moment, and knelt. In that moment, John saw all of his fellow SPARTANs, all of his fellow soldiers and human beings who had failed to protect. But this, this was a second chance. A chance to save another world, and a chance to do it right. A small huff of amusement drifted from the helmet. It was the hobbit that was the bravest of all these men and mythical beings "So, you would brave hell and high water Frodo. Just to save all of this?" He motioned at the crowd. Frodo looked up at him and into his visor.

Frodo's eyes flared with the light of the sun, betraying a thousand emotions all at once. Defiance in the face of Death. Fear in the promise of Danger. Courage in the face of Doom. "It is the Shire that I love Chief. I have carried this burden this far, a little more shouldn't hurt" The Chief crossed his arms "You'd be surprised" Then, without a pause, the helmet turned to Elrond. "With your permission sir, I will go with him, keep him safe" Again, whispers ran through the crowd. Some were exclamations of shock, while others were of cautious curiosity, not fear. The warrior acted with such gentleness with the hobbit, not a monster at all. Gandalf winked at Elrond, the elf simply rolled his eyes in frustration. Elrond then addressed the Spartan. "You have already proven yourself a fine warrior, and a good man Spartan. If the others will allow it, you may join Frodo" He looked to the other volunteers, no one was complaining. It would be a blessing to have such an ally at their side.

Boromir was the only one who did not trust him. Apparently, he had recovered enough from the shock of a green giant to form a coherent sentence.

"Have you all gone MAD!?" He stepped forward, running a hand through his hair, his face going from the crowd to John and back. "This…behemoth, appears out of nowhere, with no former hint of where his allegiances lie, and we are to trust him?" Chief understood his point of view, why should he trust him? The loyal soldier of Gondor motioned to Elrond, "For all we know, he has hoodwinked Elrond into trusting him! Is it not farfetched to say that this…thing!" He raised an accusing finger at Chief "could be a spy of Sauron!" Aragorn replied "He fought the wraiths on the weather top. Never has he even touched the one ring. He is no servant of Sauron!"

But Boromir still wasn't convinced. The Spartan kept watching him as he advanced on him, hand outstretched. "Show your face, demon! Or I'll show it for you!" With one swift motion and a blur of metallic green, the man's arm was tight in John's grip. Elrond couldn't help but let a small grin escape from him. Boromir struggled, wincing a little at the power of the Spartan's hand. But the Chief wouldn't release him. His visor leaned down to face the man, who looked back into it with shocked eyes. "Don't touch the helmet" Chief said threateningly.

With another swift move, John released him, pushing his arm away. Boromir merely stared into the orange metal orange surface. "Like it or not, you need me here. If not, then the next time the Wraiths come, I'll leave them to you" The son of Gondor looked around sheepishly "Very well" He said turning back to the group at large, "If this is the will of the council…Then Gondor will see it done."

"HEY!" A shout came from behind a bush as Samwise rushed forward to join the group. "Mr Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!" The young hobbit said, folding his arms. The Chief looked down at the young gardener "Eavesdropping?" The Hobbit looked away bashfully. "OI! We're coming too!" A shout came from the wall and the other two hobbits ran forward, Merry and Pippin taking their place beside Frodo, Merry justified. Elrond glares at the hobbits, most unadvisable "And you'll have to tie us up in a sack to stop us!" Pippin continued "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…Quest…Thing!" The Chief shook his head as Merry murmured "Well that rules you out Pip" Cortana then piped up "Son of a bitch! He beat me to it!" Was she loosing her touch?

"Ten Companions…" The group looked up at Elrond. A pleasant smile and a look of pride adorning his face. As he looked at the ad-hoc, yet mighty group before him. "So be it" He said with a tone finalization and, unless John was mistaken, pride, "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Merry and Pippin beamed at each other, knowing they were about to go on a great adventure, and that what ever happened, they would have Aragorn, Gandalf and the Master Chief to keep them safe "GREAT!" Pippin clapped his hands excitedly, "Where are we going?"


	11. The Next Mission

It was about ten minutes before sunrise. The Fellowship is preparing for their journey, with each member having prepared their weapons, provisions and all else that would be needed. Chief and Cortana had also prepared themselves for the journey as well. Chief had his ammo read. quiver for the heavy steel bolts, more like spears than arrows, a total of 37 bolts hung at his shoulder. He also had eleven 'clips' of the smaller kind, placed around the magazine holsters around his armour, and one already loaded into the stock and hopper. He had done a little more reading in the morning, of all the creatures he could face in the future, one in particular called a fell beast had taken his attention. And had also read something about a species called ents.

Morning exercises, as many press-ups as he could manage before breakfast, a mountain of breads and fruits, high energy food stuffs to build up before the mission. He also had a new at his side, a stocky weapon used by elven Great-swords (Zhennu-killian), an elite formation of shock troopers within the elven armies. It was a claymore the largest blade ever conceived by man. An elf needed two hands to use these massive swords, A Spartan only needed one. It was an ideal weapon was the only weapon he could have considered using. It would be like a weapon of mass destruction in this era, wielded by himself. And he would be able to do great damage with it, without breaking the expertly crafted weapon. He also had his knife, a fast and tactical option inside of tight, enclosed spaces. He was as ready as he could have been.

He joined the rest of the fellowship, Legolas, Boromir and Gimli were ready, waiting for the others. Sam, Merry and Pippin were also ready, rubbing their eyes, not used to such early starts, it was the way soldiers worked. All who were left were Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo. Frodo was with his elderly great uncle: Bilbo, a remarkable Hobbit, 111 years of age, a remarkable feat for someone of this era: elderly, but perfectly healthy, the old man still had years of life left. Chief had seen him handing Frodo a small sword, a fine quality looking weapon which looked like an elven blade, if so, it would serve Frodo well. Chief gazed at his own blade, knowing how such expertly crafted weapons were a lifeline in this violent and primitive world.

Gandalf was also missing, either meditating as Chief had once walked in on the wizard, or some last meeting with Elrond. The elves were at war right now, they were in need of all the wisdom and Intel they could get.

The other was Aragorn, he was saying Farwell to the elf that had gotten Frodo to safety, the daughter of Elrond, lady Arwen. Chief knew that the two were in a relationship, he had realised the day he had met her, the way the two had looked each other, the look of worry in Aragorn's eyes when she had set of for Rivendell. Chief had a pragmatic and sober understanding of such things, but he understood companionship, the way he had felt when he thought he may loose Cortana, it was hard to let go of the people you fear to loose. Aragorn was going through the same ordeal. Whether love was involved or not, was no concern of Chief's, and also none of his business.

"Good morning Chief." Pippin says, stifling a tired yawn upon seeing the Spartan, causing the others to look around at him. "Where are the others Chief?" Merry asked, he was itching to begin his great adventure "Tying up loose ends, saying their farewells" He replied "Nothing seems to escape your gaze Spartan" Legolas suddenly replied "You have a keen eye for detail" Chief nodded "It is necessary. Missing important details during the heat of battle can be a difference between life and death. Its something that's been ingrained into me since I was a child" This took the attention of Gimli "A child you say? How long have you trained to be a warrior good Spartan?" Gimli was gruff and dry, but Chief could tell he had a good heart. It was like Sergeant Johnson all over again.

Chief felt at ease with the dwarf "I was conscripted into the military at the age of six, my training has continued ever since then" The hobbits and Legolas were shocked by this. Gimli less so, he had been using axes since he could walk, but full blown military training at such a tender age was taking things to a new level "Do you have any family where you come from Chief?" Merry asked "I used to, when the Spartans were conscripted, they were taken from their families, permanently" This really shocked the innocent young hobbits, and deeply saddened the others, who all had strong family connections one way or another. Legolas placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, making John flinch ever so slightly "Were your family saddened when you were taken from them?" Chief didn't want to tell them that his family had never known, he had been replaced by a flash bred clone, which had covered the tracks of the kidnappings, they wouldn't understand about flash clones "Its complicated" Chief replied, turning his head away, feigning the body language accosted with unease and emotional discomfort. The others detected his body language, they wouldn't press the topic further.

Chief decided that he was comfortable around these people, he then walked over to a nearby willow tree, next to the high standing, moss covered boulder which Gimli was pressing against. He took a look at the team, then he began to talk, he would have to get to know the people who were to become his comrades.

He learned about the elf whose name was Legolas, Prince of the Woodland Realm and son of the Elven king, Thranduil of Mirkwood. He learned that Legolas was a master archer who also had a keen eyesight and sensitive hearing, sharper and remarkable even by elven standards.

He learned that the dwarfs name was Gimli, son of Gloin. Gimli like all other dwarves favoured an axe as a weapon, what else? Chief imagined that the dwarf would have a basic, but brutal style of combat, he couldn't miss the parallel between Johnson and his way of war. Gimli had many axe types, a heavy double sided type, and three smaller ones, like lengthened tomahawks. Like a tomahawk they were shaped and weighted for throwing, but the long handle also meant they would be effective close combat tools, because of their lightweight nature, he wondered if Gimli could duel wield these axes, that would certainly be impressive to watch.

The man that did not trust the Spartan very much which he had learned about from Gandalf was named Boromir. Eldest son of the Steward of Gondor Denethor II, he held the title Captain of the White Tower being that he was the heir to the stewardship. A powerful warrior, schooled by the greatest fencing masters of his capital city, Minas-Tirith. It extended into the sky, built into a great mountain side, and rose on three mighty levels. Made of white stone and marble, it sounded like a very impressive construct. Boromir struck him as being an idealist, a very dangerous thing for a warrior, he was fighting, potentially for the wrong reasons, he fought only to defend his people, something John could easily relate to, but he still didn't trust him He had already learned about the Hobbits pasts from Gandalf, and learns a little about Gandalf himself in the process, his admiration of the hobbits and their peaceful way of life, for instance.

Then Frodo came down to join the Fellowship, followed a few minutes later by Aragorn and Gandalf: They were ready now. Frodo turns around and walks past the Fellowship members, uncertainly. Before him, the path winds away to either side "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" He asks Gandalf in good spirits "Left Frodo" Gandalf replies, a light smile playing across his mouth.

The Fellowship departs beneath an old arch of lichen-encrusted stone. Yet Aragorn remains where he stands, seeing Arwen standing just behind them all. Chief also stops in his tracks just outside the arch, and turns around to see Aragorn standing there looking at Arwen. Across the path between them they gaze into one another's eyes. Arwen's face is sorrowful; Aragorn smiles faintly, and nods faintly, a nod of farewell, he couldn't say it out loud, too stubborn. As he made to leave, he notices Chief is looking his way. The two men look for a moment, then they both move on. As Aragorn passes Chief, he looks back at the elves of Rivendell and then turns around to follow the others. Arwen silently whispers goodbye, finally breaking her doleful gaze. Looking down, feeling solemn, feeling alone.

The Fellowship departs from Rivendell as the sun's rays pierce the valley. Over mountains and river crossings, bleak but beautiful wasteland and lonely steppes, past ancient human structures, huts, foundations, old abandoned outposts, weather stations, monuments to times lost and forgotten long ago, the golden age of human kind. The group made their way over hill and plain, their feet (Or hooves, in the case of Bill the Pony) pounding on the ground as they made their way west. From time to time, they'd stop and rest. The Hobbits would make their brunch, second breakfast, dinner, supper, or whatever meal they would eat. The Chief marvelled at how their tiny bodies could consume so much food.

They reminded him of worms with that kind of appetite.

Gandalf knew the ways of the world, John had his maps, an amalgamation of scans from the Dawn, and scans from the maps to produce a very accurate, digital map, which Cortana could bring up onto his HUD at any moment. Gandalf knew the ways seamlessly. They had been going for thirteen days now. He was taking them over the southern passage, the most direct route. It was a risk, according to Gandalf, to hold their cause along the southern passage, west of the Misty mountains, it was a forty day journey. But it was risky. Gandalf had told him all about the wizard Saruman, had Chief possessed his usual armament, he would have stormed his kingdom personally, but he would be facing hundreds, perhaps thousands. Either way, if the fellowship was discovered, they would be vulnerable, they needed a guard, not a one man army, his place was with them. Not defeating the forces of evil single handily. But it was the most direct route. If their luck held, Saruman would not discover them, and they would beat the snowfall that would render the route impassable. He couldn't expect the others, maybe Legolas, Boromir, Aragorn and himself. But not the others.

From their, the road would turn east, straight to Mordor.

On the fifteenth day, after travelling for hours the group then stopped to rest at on an outstretched arm of the mountains. Sam cooks sausage and the other components to a fried breakfast, as well as other food over the crackling fire, who then took a helping, climbing up onto a rock besides Frodo to give him his first and only breakfast, they had reduced the eating periods of the hobbits to four meals a day. Nearby Boromir spars with Merry and Pippin, tutoring them on basic sword fighting, sparring with Pippin. Nearby the three, Aragorn and Chief were watching them spar, giving them additional guidance. Gandalf was sitting on a high rock overlooking the group with Gimli, the two smoking their pipes. Next to him on the ground below, Legolas was intently standing on watch.

"Two, one, five. Good. Very good." Boromir says to Pippin "Move your feet!" Aragorn says speaking encouragement "You look good, Pippin." Merry says "Thanks." Pippin says

"Faster!" Boromir says, repeating the exercise for Merry. "Never take your eyes off you enemy, not even for a second. Try to mimic his movements...mimic his footwork and his stance, learn by imitation" Chief added, once they were capable of that, they would begin to get a feel for combat. Both Chief and Aragorn looked at each other, sharing a complimentary nod.

Meanwhile, Gandalf and Gimli were deep in debate about the course the fellowship should take. "If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome" Gimli says with honestly. Gandalf takes a pipe he was smoking from his mouth. Faint surprise registers in the old wizard's eyes. "No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I have no other choice"

Chief was noting improvements in the hobbits technique, and Boromir was responding in kind, pushing the hobbits further and further. Then Chief noticed that Sam was coming towards him. Chewing on a sausage in his hand, he was sure to have more questions "What is it Sam?" The good thing about being in control of ones emotions was that he had a lot of patience. "What is it Sam?" He asked kindly. Sam was only curious "It was about that day on weather top. The way you were able to toss those wraiths here and there. Aragorn told me that wraiths are far heavier than any man. How were you able to do all that?" Chief thought for a little, Aragorn stopped watching the fight for a moment and started listening to Chief.

"I cannot tell you how it is possible, all you must know is that it is. Spartan's are the elites warriors of the lands I hail from. We are made to be unlike any man. We are faster, stronger, and can react to our enemies movements with remarkable speed. A Spartan weighs nine times over that of a normal man with our armour on. A Spartan can also lift nearly three times their own body weight. Our bones are unbreakable, and our muscles do not fatigue easily. A Spartan can even run fast enough to keep up with a speeding horse" Sam was amazed, his revelations had caught the attention of the hobbits, and Boromir.

Pippin blocks a strike from Boromir and then looks at Chief "So you're pretty much faster and stronger than anyone of us here?" Merry then had a very good idea "Yeah Chief. Why don't you show us what you can do?" Pippin joined in "Yeah Chief. Go on! Just one thing to show us what you can do!" Boromir shook his head in disbelief, always a cynic "Do not fall for his bare faced lies my small friends, he is faster and stronger than any man, but no MAN is capable of doing all that. Why don't you crush that rock your sitting on Chief? Prove me wrong" John knew he shouldn't rise to it, but then again, he didn't want to disappoint the hobbits, and he at least wanted respect from this cynical captain "Go on Chief. Do it for the hobbits. Do it before they start to beg!" That finally convinced him to give it a go.

He took his blades, crossbow and quiver from off him. The grenades wouldn't catch anything. He did some warm ups, psyching himself up a little, the three hobbits gazed on with eager eyes, Boromir looked away laughing. Chief grabbed hold of the rock. It was as wide as he was, and came up nearly to his weight. "Re route all power to the motor systems Cortana" He would need everything he had to do this. "Power re routed, optimum application will occur in four...three...two...one..."

Then Chief grabbed hold of the rock, digging his hands into it and punching a two centimetre crater. Than, with all his might, he hefted the rock onto his chest. He leant back, and squatted, preventing himself from being thrown forwards. Then when he was stable. He pushed, the rock just started to move upwards, but his armour was functioning like a hydraulic press, and the rock kept slowly rising. He pushed it as far as his armour would go, this took around four seconds. The hobbits were in uproar, dancing about and willing him on "Go on Chief! Go on Chief!" With one fluid movement, he straightened out, allowing the rock to stay where it was. Then leant back again, his back was hurting, even with his armour support, the pain was excruciating. Chief wasn't even sure he'd manage it himself. But he wouldn't give up, and now the rock was on his shoulders. Boromir couldn't believe it, this wasn't possible.

"WHOA!" Sam gasps "WOW!" Pippin and Merry say in unison. Everyone else is looking round now. EVERYONE. With open mouths. Gandalf simply smiled, and went to re-filling his pipe. Chief was stony faced, supressing all the pain, feeling no pain, he gradually pushed the rock upwards, slowly...then flipped back down, moving his backbone like a whip, the armour stopping his vertebrae from dislocating. And then he was below the rock, pushing up with his legs, he threw the rock one meter into the air. And it came down onto the scree below with a terrible crash. everyone was in awe, but John wasn't done yet. He axe kicked the hemispherical pole of the boulder, focussing the energy of the strike into a specific point inside the stone. Then, he impaled the rock with his fists, throwing his entire bodyweight into the strike, causing fractures to appear all over. A couple of hammer fists later, he rose up, and he had finished. His head turned coolly towards Boromir. "Were you trying to make it break?" Sam asked in awe. Then there was a god awful crack, the sound of heavy stone moving against stone, and the boulder fell into many smaller pieces "More than that" John said sarcastically.

He had made his point. He sat back down onto a similar stone next to the one he had just annihilated. And sighed, that had caused his heart rate to rise a little! As Legolas finally tore his gaze away from the ruined scree, he saw something that took his eye. "I see something, it moves against the wind!" Gimli took one look a the area he was gazing at. Then turned back sniggering a little "Don't be a fool, its just a whiff of cloud!" This had taken everyone's attention. "No Gimli, Legolas is right...the mass is moving fast, against he wind" John zoomed his HUD into the cloud. He could see that it was birds. Why was that important? Then he recalled one little piece of lore he had read in a book in Elrond's library, something sinister "Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas yells suddenly, and Chief remembers the reason why birds are not all that they seem in Middle Earth.

"Hide!" Aragorn yells "Hurry!" Boromir says to the two Hobbits Chief quickly grabs all his equiptment, everything and re-holstred it with great speed. He and Aragorn then go round the site, collecting any gear they come across "Frodo! Hurry! Take cover!" Aragorn says to Frodo, even moving bill the pony under a thick layer of shrub.

The Fellowship scrambles to gather their things, and Sam puts out the fire. They hide behind the scree and scrub. Chief jumps under a rock outcropping and gets back into the outcropping, crawling in as far as he can go. They wait as in a burst of darkness against the light of day, a flock of black birds' flies overhead, cawing loudly. They circle the hill, then turn and fly back southward. As they fly away the Fellowship then get out from under their hiding spots as they watch the birds fly away.

"Spies of Saruman! The passage South is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras." Gandalf says as he then looks at a great, snowy mountain on high. John followed his gaze and steadied himself. No one was going to enjoy this, the quest would not be even as easy as his cynical mind had guessed. The fellowship's fragile luck had just run out


	12. Mines and Mountains Deep

The Fellowship climbs the steep and snowy slopes of Caradhras. As they climb through the glistening, fresh and crunching snow beneath the great blue sky of Middle earth, Frodo loses his footing and falls, slipping because of fatigue, rolling down the slope towards Aragorn and Chief. "Frodo!" Aragorn yells, Gandalf, at the head of the column stops, seeing if everything is alright. It was hard going, the snow was thick, and it was twenty below out here. Even Chief was struggling slightly, not due to cold though, his armour was heavy, he kept digging deep into the snow, every other step...this was the worst terrain for a Spartan.

Aragorn then helps Frodo up; Frodo regains his footing and puts a hand instinctively to his neck for the Ring. Finding it missing, he looks back up the slope. The Ring lies in the snow, its gold glistening. Boromir sees the Ring in the snow and picks it up by its chain. Chief see's this, he has already begun marching towards him. Gandalf tightens the grip of his spell, who knows what magic he will conjure up should things turn nasty.

"Boromir." Aragorn says. But Boromir is oblivious, entranced by the Ring. His face is blank, no emotion, nothing, but perhaps a hint of awe. He is transfixed by the inviting powers of the ring. "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt…over so small a thing. Such a little thing." Boromir says speaking softly He reaches with his other hand to touch it. "Boromir!" Aragorn says, when all of a sudden Chief grabs Boromir's free hand, sharply pulling it away from the Ring, yet as he does so, john touches it slightly himself. John immediately felt as if he was worlds away, there are no sounds, no wind, voices are muffled, like they would be in a near vacuum. Then he began to hear the whispering again. It was soft, so soft, you almost missed it the whispering was so soft. But it was there, whispering, tempting, the voice of the one ring...the voice of Sauron. _"You have defied Gods themselves...the saviour of worlds...you can do more, save more, be more...S-p-a-r-t-a-n...soldier, who doubts..." _Then he snapped out of it, his mind was hard and unbendable, he would not succumb to weakness. But he felt different, doubts clouded his mind, surely the fellowship would fail...Boromir's words echoed in his mind, "_Not with ten thousand" _Boromir spoke with the voice of the ring. "Boromir!" Aragorn said again. Snapping Chief out of it.

He looked at Boromir, he was still holding him "Spartan?" The scared man asked him. "Chief...let go of him, please, its fine" Chief then notices Aragorn's hand on the hilt of his sword and knows that something is troubling him. Could he sense the danger Boromir faced as well? Was the sword ready for him, not the Captain? He let go of his arm. "Thank you John...now Boromir...give the ring to Frodo" Aragorn almost said it as a threat. Boromir walks forward, and holds out the Ring for Frodo "As you wish…(Frodo does not wait, and grabs the Ring sharply, a tormented expression on his face)...I care not." Boromir says. He gazed into Aragorn's fiery eyes, he knows what is going through the rangers mind, he knows what Aragorn is prepared to do. Boromir jokingly rubs Frodo's hair, turning to resume climbing, slinging his shield back onto his shoulder. Frodo looks on suspiciously and Aragorn releasing his grip from his sword. Chief also looks at Boromir suspiciously as Boromir walks past him keeping his eyes on him. "That was even stranger than I expected!" says Cortana. Chief now knew who the weakest member of the group was.

As Aragorn walks past, holding Frodo's arm, to stop him from falling again, Chief has one question for the ranger "Would you have done it?" He looks up at the Spartan "What?" John nods at his sword. Then the ranger understands, would he had killed Boromir? Aragorn has steel in his eyes, and his face is set grimly. But he shakes his head, saying "But I would give my life for Frodo. And it is not only Boromir that I am wary off" Frodo looks into the eyes of Strider, knowing he is in good company. John looks into the eyes of Aragorn, he knew that he had been effected as well. John began to promise himself that this would never happen again _"Not with ten thousand" _There it was again! He steeled himself, conducting every control mechanism at his disposal, he finally began to feel his mind stabilise, he had suppressed his anxieties, his deepest fears and personal pains, all the weaknesses of his character...he had done all this...for now.

"Come John...don't let things get to you...you are not alone out hear. You have friends here...and you have me" Cortana's ancillary appeared over his HUD, and she gave him a reassuring smile. Little did he know, she was hearing the voices as well _"Formless...living...never living...living hell" _

A few hours later, the hobbits were in very bad way. Chief was carrying Merry and Pippin, Aragorn Frodo, Boromir Sam, finally putting himself to good use. Chief was reading -34^C on his HUD. The hobbits couldn't last out here, they needed artic gear, elven clothing couldn't be underestimated, but they couldn't deal with cold like this, they needed to get off the mountain quickly, the hobbits vitals were dangerously low, the men's not far behind, the others seemed superhuman, their core temperature was affected, yet not significantly... he was amazed at how the others could withstand the cold. Then he heard a voice on the winds "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" Translate: (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!) Legolas had heard it as well "There is a foul voice on the air"

There was anger, fear, despair and hate in Gandalf's eyes "Its Saruman!" He yells out loud, just as a giant section of rock gives way above the pass. The closest rocks struck the sides of the passage, missing the fellowship by a hairs breath, Aragorn had had enough, Gandalf had to come to reason, the other options had to be safer than this "He's trying to bring down the mountain. Gandalf, we MUST go back" But he wasn't giving up yet "NO!" Gandalf, driving against the wind and snow that pelt into his eyes, he stood at the edge of the pass, and began to sing himself, everyone gazed on, realising what would happen if he failed. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!) But his efforts were futile, the spell was too far ahead of him, a massive lightning strike struck the peak above, everyone gazed upwards, all apart from Chief, his eyes were on his motion sensor, and it had just gone crazy.

Chief had seconds left. "Everyone get back. GET BACK NOW!" Chief shouted, then the snow started to fall, Cortana piped up "Chief! The likelihood of us staying on this path is exactly two point-" "Don't tell me the odds Cortana!" Chief said out loud, Legolas grabbed hold of Gandalf, then all hell broke loose. Crushing noise, the snow pulling them towards the edge. Then there was a massive shunt, permafrost or rock, he didn't care, Chief could feel himself moving, slipping, nothing to hold onto...the two hobbits he had thrown behind him crying out, slipping, pressing against him, all three moving towards the edge. Even he couldn't supress the waves of deep and primal panic washing over him. The hobbits wouldn't survive the fall. Fighting every survival instinct he had, Chief pushed against their tiny bodies, pushing them away from him...Then...everything had gone silent.

Little flecks of snow still slipped from the wiped out pass, the ten nowhere to be seen. Legolas was up first, in one graceful motion slipping through the entire covering. A small hand reached out above the snow, clawing out, trying to find something to grab, a hand a person, anything. Aragorn and an exhausted, shivering Frodo were next, teamwork showing its advantages. Boromir had thrown himself above Sam, shielding him from the barrage of snow and rock and ice. Pushing with all his might, Boromir moved to the right, almost falling off the side, just keeping his balance, a dazed Sam fighting both snow and mild concussion. A wild Gimli drove out of the deep snow, snarling like some wild beast, then regaining his composure, he, aided by Legolas dug Gandalf out, he was the deepest of them all.

Boromir tried to take control of the situation. "We must get off the mountain. We should make for the gap of Rohan...I'd take the west road, take us to my city" Aragorn immediately disagreed, thinking father ahead. "The path of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Whilst the others clutched at straws, Gimli knew that he alone had the best option, and turning to Gandalf, willing him to see sense said "If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria" But then, before anyone could consider another thought, the voice of Merry rang out "Chief! Where is the Chief!"

Then everyone realised, he hadn't surfaced yet. But he was the mightiest, the strongest of the them all. If he hadn't surfaced yet...everyone feared the worse. "What happened Merry?" Aragorn demanded. "Something hi-hi-it us-s" He was shivering badly, couldn't get his words out. Pippin was faring far better, and rubbing his shoulders and back vigorously he spoke for his friend, there was a different side coming out of the hobbit "Don't speak merry, save your strength...I felt a shunt, Chief stumbled, something had hit us, something hard. We got picked up by the snow, I could feel myself slipping, it was, Chief was, I felt a force, his hand, pushing us back up to the side, I think...I..." His voice was cracking, he couldn't believe what was happening.

There was complete silence, Frodo and Merry even forgot about their shivering for a moment. Chief was the strongest, the most powerful, no foe could touch him...it couldn't be, mustn't be! "CHIEF!" Aragorn bellowed, he was gazing over the side of the pass, down into blackness, the void of a fall no one could survive. Other, the ones brave enough to look over, Legolas, Gimli...Sam. they all came, and were stunned by what they saw. Their, just a few feet down, was Chief.

Chief was deeply shaken, but adrenaline coursed though his system, he could feel nothing, no fear, no pain, "Chief, use your combat knife, pull yourself up, the rock is too unstable and weak to scale without it" Chief was trembling a little, the sheer amount of adrenaline, no risks, inch by inch, he scaled the mountain. "Help me get him up!" Aragorn ordered, and the combined strength of him, Gimli and Legolas struggled and helped him climb over the last few inches. As he sat there, pressed against the side of the mountain, Gimli was the first to speak, he punched the Spartan, chuckling heavily "Well done Chief. We thought we'd lost you there for a second laddie, you one lucky man, I'll give you that!" John breathed out and relaxed "It'll take more than that!" Patting him on the shoulder again, and confidant that the indomitable warrior was ok, turned back to Gandalf "So, will you yield to reason? Will you pass through the halls of my ancestors Gandalf?" That moment had scared Chief. The hobbits were in a bad way. He had almost fallen to his deaf, this was a futile, suicide errand. Gandalf, as Gimli said, had to see reason... "Sir, the hobbits are failing, they cant go on. Gandalf, they will die if we don't get them off the mountain right NOW!"

Gandalf, sighed. Chief was right, he had to get the hobbits out of here. But there were other options besides Moria. "Let the ringbearer decide!" Frodo turned to the wizard, very taken aback, he didn't know what to do "Frodo?" Gandalf repeated, with all fealty, hoping he wouldn't say it. Frodo saw that there was only one option that was the safest. "We will go through the mines" Gandalf sighed, his resistance crushed. "So be it" Merry, Pippin and Sam were strong enough to walk again. But Sam was badly concussed, he couldn't possibly move. As Chief scooped up the confused Halfling, his path was blocked by Merry and Pippin. Pippin was the first to speak "Chief...you saved our lives. Knowing the risks, you could have saved yourself. Wh, why?" For Chief, the answer was obvious "I am a Spartan. It is our duty to protect all humanity...all those who are worth defending...Its what we do..."

The rode back down had certainly been a lot more rewarding. Gandalf had picked some other, very steep roads to get the hobbits down quickly. Chief, Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn had each taken a hobbit, and had ran down the mountain, slopes, cliff, scree and all, they had to be as fast as possible before hyperthermia set in. They had done this in time, Aragorn had slipped once, but it had been a harmless scare. They waited for Gandalf and Gimli at the bottom, Gimli had been driving the old wizard mad with tales of dwarven time of old, and tales of a long gone by Moria, he didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

The Fellowship passes south. In the shadow of the ruins of a great aqueduct in the mist and ice of the mountains, Gandalf beckons to Frodo. "Frodo, come and help an old man. (Frodo then walks over and helps Gandalf) How is your shoulder?" Gandalf says, it had turned out that e had been injured during the avalanche. "Better than it was." Frodo replies. "And the Ring?" Gandalf asks

The two then look at each other. Frodo had much fear in his eyes. Gandalf knew what he was going through "You feel its power growing, don't you? I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship... And, I fear, from within." Gandalf says as the shadowy shape of a Fellowship member passes by as the two converse. Gandalf looks up with suspicion, Frodo with fear.

"Who then do I trust?" Frodo asks worried "You must trust yourself, always and without doubts Frodo. Trust your own strengths." Gandalf replies "What do you mean?" Frodo asked worryingly, he didn't understand what Gandalf was saying "There are many powers in this world, for Good or for Evil Frodo. Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested..." Gandalf says, his voice trailing away. Before Frodo could say anymore, they are interrupted by a gasp from Gimli. "The Walls…of Moria!"


	13. Riddles and Watchers

The Fellowship stands and looks upon a vast cliff face, sheer and brooding, rising above them and before them, away into the mists. "I don't see any doors here Chief, even secret ones, could this really be the entrance to Moria? It looks like a normal cliff face" Cortana says to her Spartan. Gimli had said that Moria was a mine, maybe they weren't searching for a door, a subtle miners shaft...a whole in the ground? "If we are heading inside the mountains…Then how do we get in? I don't see an entranceway from where we are" Chief says. "Your eyes are good Chief...but not that good. The entrance is hidden. It seamlessly blends with the mountain wall. I cannot be seen with the naked eye. Chief cycled through the spectral range, first infrared, than to ultraviolet and beyond.

Their was some curious radiation spikes coming from the wall around a 50m diameter. He had detected such a field before, from the wraiths, when Gandalf had repaired Cortana, any time he had used his 'powers'. "There seemed to be some common link between all the magic's of this world. We need to be looking for an, err, enchanted door of some kind, something no one could usually find" Gandalf looked at the Chief in amazement "Astounding Chief. This is correct, their is a causal link between all the powers of this world...but how do you know all this?" He now knew something Gandalf didn't "I imagine there are things I know about the world that even you aren't aware of sir" Gandalf just chuckled, he got the reference, he remembered Rivendell.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli says as he begins to lead the Fellowship around the large lake in front of them. Arriving to a part of the cliff Gimli then knocks his axe against a rock and then continues on. The rest of the Fellowship catches on as they move along the rock wall, taping and prying, searching for a door. "Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf says "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas says sarcastically. Gimli doesn't rise to it, but does grumble something disrespectful in dwarfish. "While it will be a pain to find...it is a tactical advantage. The mine is like a fortress, if the enemy couldn't locate the entrance it would be a great opportunity for ambush, or a way to retreat from the enemy" Chief says "Dwarfs never run from battle, Master Chief!" Chief wasn't very impressed. "Then the dwarves are fools" Gimli was very offended, but he wasn't about to pick an argument.

A foot splashes into shallow water. Frodo gasps, pulling his leg back, looking up at his surroundings. It's a great pool beside the rock face, with dead branches bearded with moss hanging damp above the water. Gandalf approaches the rock between two twisted, gnarled trees. The wizard runs his hand over the cliff face. "Now…let's see. Ithildin…It mirrors only starlight…and moonlight" He looks up at the black night sky; the moon appears. Framed by the sharp shadows of the two trees, the silvery lines grow bright, shining with sheer white light. They outline a door formed of two columns beneath an arch with a star in the center. Writing in a strange tongue appears in the arch. Gimli stares in awe at the gate of his forefathers. Gandalf explains, pointing with his gnarled staff.

"We could do with some of these at the UNSC Chief. I'll be saving magic doors away in my database!" Chief couldn't help but smile, banter aside, it was a useful concept. Gandalf went on "It reads "The Doors of Durin - Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter." Merry sniffed a little "What do you suppose that means?" He asks loud and bluntly. Gandalf answered in light spirits "Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Gandalf says as he sets his staff's end upon the glimmering star.

"_Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen! (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!)" _However the door remains close…Gandalf stands in confusion and then raises his hands into the air _"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen. (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.)" _Still the door does not move or make a sound. "Nothing's happening." Pippin says innocently. Gandalf glances at him, looking slightly annoyed. He begins to push on the doors, but they remain fast. Gandalf is little stumped "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves...Men...Orcs." Gandalf says.

"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asks "Knock your head against these doors, Peregrine Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from your questions, I will attempt to use logic and words of old." Gandalf says angrily.

Time passes. The rest of the Fellowship is seated around the doors near the lake, waiting for Gandalf to open them. Night is deepening. "_Ando Eldarinwa…a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa… (Gate of Elves…listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves…)" _Gandalf says sounding weary, remember, he didn't actually want to get in. Meanwhile Aragorn is unhitching the horse that the Fellowship had brought with them to send back to Rivendell "The Mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." Sam knew he was right, he would miss the brave little animal...actually little wasn't the right word...oh he knew what he meant! He would miss him. "Bye-Bye Bill." Sam says sadly "Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Aragorn says to reassure Sam that Bill will be alright. The two watch as Bill then walks away into the night.

Chief leans against the cliff wall near Merry and Pippin. "Chief couldn't you just punch the 'door' down?" Merry asks "We probably shouldn't" Chief replied "If there are dwarves inside, I don't think that they would like us blowing down their door" It was a fair and considerate answer. "However Chief…it may mean that we're going to be here a while." Cortana says.

"So Chief...what do you think's inside Moria? Gandalf's worried, I can tell. What could possibly get a wizard scared? Why doesn't he want to go through here?" Pippin asks "I don't know. But if he's scared…Then we might be facing something very powerful in there. I read about the dwarf and goblin wars. Moria was occupied by goblins long ago. A force of dwarfs was sent to retake the hold. Its unknown whether te campaign was succesfull. Gimli is confident, Gandalf isn't. I don't know who is correct" Chief explains, much to the horror of the hobbits "I'm not sure I want to go into Moria now either Chief" Chief realised what he had done "Don't worry. We'll find a way. We always do." Chief says, trying to reassure them "Yeah I guess you're right."

Just then, Merry begins to throw stones into the water, and soon after Pippin follows but, is stopped by Aragorn. "Do not disturb the water." Aragorn says. "That doesn't sound good!" Cortana remarked. Just then Gandalf then gives up at the door "Oh, it's useless." As he throws his staff way in frustration and sits down beside Frodo, pulling off his hat. Frodo stands up and looks at the writings of the glimmering gateway intently. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Chief and Boromir watch as a ripple runs through the water. Chief was sure he could detect a shadow under the surface, he drew his crossbow, just in case.

Frodo then had his revelation. "It's a riddle." Frodo says, the eureka moment! The water continues to ripple ominously, as if something is moving towards them as the rest of the Fellowship watches. "Speak "friend" and enter...Gandalf, what's the Elfish word for friend?" Frodo asks. Raising a surprised eyebrow, he replies "Mellon." And immediately the stone doors slowly swing open, rumbling deeply as the doors open fully. Gandalf laughs in surprise, hobbits will never stop amazing him.

The rest of the Fellowship then take their attention off the water and then enter Moria. The wizard places a rough-hewn crystal into the gnarled roots topping his staff; Aragorn follows last, casting a last suspicious glance at the waters. Moonlight floods into a shadowy rock chamber. Led by Gandalf, hat and staff in hand, they walk towards the inky blackness at the far end of the chamber however with no light the Fellowship cannot see where they are heading. Chief turns the lights on his helmet on. Surprising the fellowship. Gimli is too caught up in his own magnificence, or rather the magnificence of his people.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin...and to think they called it a mine...A MINE, ha, ha!" Gimli laughs, remembering the splendour of the hold.

Gandalf brings his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal as though to kindled the rock into light. It glows, as though from some inner strength. With its light glimmering like stars in his eyes, Gandalf leans the staff towards the dark halls ahead, throwing into relief dirty, broken stairs and columns, upon which are tumbled many dark forms. However just then Boromir says something after he looks around the room "This is no mine, it's a tomb!"

The Gandalf's and Chief's lights reveal rotted, broken and battered forms strewn about, casting long shadows across the room. The four Hobbits jump back as they soon see a skeletal body in front of them with an arrow in his chest. Chief looks all around the room with his lights as he sees dead bodies all over the place…all of them skeletal remains of dead dwarves. "Oh no...Noooo!" Gimli yells in pain as he runs over to inspect another dead body of a dwarven soldier.

Legolas pulls out an arrow from the body of a fallen Dwarf and examines it "Goblins!" Legolas says as he then casts the arrow away and pulls out one of his own arrows and fits it into the bow. Chief immediately takes out a bolt from his quiver, quickly priming his weapon. Aragorn and Boromir unsheathe their swords all four soldiers at the ready in case Goblins attack them. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here!" Boromir says

"Motion sensors are not picking up any movement near us. But we don't know how many Goblins could be in here if we continue deeper into the mine." Cortana says, keeping her Spartan updated. Frodo trips over a fallen dwarf, the four are backing toward the door however unknown to them something stirs in the water behind them. "Now get out of here, get out!" Boromir yells as his voice echoes throughout the hollow dead hallway.

The company starts for the door. Suddenly, Frodo is grabbed from behind and pulled off his feet. A long, snaking tentacle pulls him down. "Frodo!" Sam, Merry, and Pippin yell as Merry and Pippin quickly grab onto Frodo to stop him from being dragged into the water. Everyone spins round, and is confronted by great horror

"STRIDER! CHIEF!" Sam yells, Chief and Aragorn sprinting for the doorway "HELP!" Frodo yells as the tentacle continues to try and pull him into the water. Sam run to his master, drawing his blade, hacking at the tentacle "GERROF HIM!" He bellows, and breaks the grip of the slimy mass. It retreats back into the water, the end of the tentacle hanging limp and badly damaged. Just as they were thinking the danger had gone, another dozen or so tentacles shot out from the water, smashing everyone backwards and pulling a screaming Frodo clean into the air.

Chief and Legolas loose of a shot, the arrow impaling a three pronged tentacle, the bolt imbedding itself into something just below the surface, all the tentacles spasmed for a moment, then resumed their onslaught. The two men were just holding their own, but were at risk of being overwhelmed. Chief knew where his use lay, he drew his claymore, and marched over to aid his friends, severing anything that came his way in disciplined and deadly arcs, viscera exploding all around him. A fast and sweeping melee ensures, even Chief wasn't fast enough to engage every tentacle, of which there were many.

Then the creature rises up from the depths, like something out of a horror movie. Cortana has to say something "That is one, ugly, mother f-" just as it is opening its massive jaw. As a loud and fierce roar escapes from its monstrous maw, Frodo hanging right above a row of huge, articulated teeth, they had little time. Chief knew he could end it in a split second, one frag, pull the pin, chuck some lead down the creatures throat. But with the others so close, he didn't want to risk hitting them. Yet he spies an opening, a weakness in the creatures wild and undisciplined offence. He knows how to free Frodo. "BOROMIR, ARAGORN! FOLLOW MY LEAD!" Raising his claymore up and down in vicious figure of eights, annihilating any flesh in front of him, Chief clears a path for the men. "Two tentacles holding Frodo, dead ahead. Get ready for when he falls!" Chief leaps forward, and sweeping as wide as he can, he cleaves at the tentacles. The first sheers completely, and the creature wreathes in pain. The other doesn't sheer completely, but cannot support Frodo's weight anymore. Boromir is ready and waiting, he catches Frodo easy. Another tentacle punches into chief. He stands, fast, and drawing has knife, holding the claymore in reverse grip, he lunges down and hacks it to pieces.

"INTO THE MINES!" Gandalf yells "LEGOLAS!" Boromir yells. Aragorn, Chief and Boromir begin to retreat, Chief follows behind, sheathing his knife. Boromir runs for the gates with Frodo as a huge tentacle uncoils in a hand-like appendage, snaking after John. Chief couldn't possibly miss that movement on his motion tracker. Legolas takes aim, Chief spins round and slashes viciously. The double attack stuns the beast. As it howls in pain, everyone retreats. "Into the cave!" Aragorn yells. Chief looks back. Chopping a tentacle that speeds towards him. And stops in surprise when he see's the creature rise onto solid ground, on crab-like legs. "Well that's just not fair now is it?" Cortana moans on the realisation that it can walk as well as swim.

Everyone needs time to escape, Chief takes a bolt, and throws it like a dart, it joins the arrow that Legolas launched, slowing the beast down. This gives them the time they need to escape, and with his incredible speed, Chief easily catches up. But the watchman is on them, it claws desperately at the door ahead of it, but as the massive creature slams into the side of the mountain, the doors give way, and the rocks supported above collapse. By the time the stone has settled, the way is impassable.

"Good thing you didn't break the door down after all Chief!" Pippin remarks. Chief stares at him. The hobbits are as bad as Cortana! "Your powers of observation astound me, Peregrine Took" Gandalf sighs long and deep, knowing now that they have no other options left. "It seems we now have but one choice…" His staff now lit, he knocks it on the ground, and it shines all the brighter. Aragorn uses kindling powder, the same as on weather top to light two torches that he has found, and Chief turns his head-lights (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun! :D ) on again "Show off!" Cortana remarks jokingly "We must face the long dark of Moria…be on your guard at all times...there are fouler, and older things than orcs in the deep places of the world" Gandalf says, bleak and deadly serious. As he and the rest of the Fellowship then turn their attention towards the dark halls of Moria…


	14. Blade and Shadow

It was dark inside the tower of Orthanc. The candles, the lamps, the burnt out crusted embers of long gone logs, inside of baroque and ornate fireplaces. But all was about to change. Saruman, he was at his balcony, analysing the proceedings of his new kingdom. Isengard was rising.

Oh Isengard. His life, his home. A great ring-wall of stone. iron doors, stone ramparts, sentinels of orcs guarding its parameter. Behind the towering cliffs of the white mountains. Behind towering cliffs, this forbidden kingdom, a secret world, stood out from behind the shadow of the mountain. A great circle of rock, somewhat hollowed like a vast shallow bowl, three killometers from rim to rim. Once it had been green and filled with avenues, groves of fruitful trees. But no green grew here now, there was work to do. They needed the wood for fuel, and the foundries were just kicking into life.

There stood the tower. Fashioned by the builders of old. How could men of this era have built such a thing? Even Saruman had to marvel at their skill and vision. But the strength of men had broken and failed long ago. There time, every races time, was now over. A great peek, black and gleaming, as if marble had been joined with granite into a single form of rock. four mighty piers stood together, as if welded together. Near the summit they opened into protruding horns, their pinnacles sharp as the points of spears, keen-edged, sharp as any knife or sword. Between them was a narrow space, a floor of polished stone, etched with strange runes and symbols. But the skills of men had faded. They built little huts now. Built from wood and shit, wattle and daub. No longer could they build mighty towers, wonders that contended with the mountains themselves for the dominance of the sky.

He would win this war, sweep aside the old world, a place of decay and primitivity. Saruman remembered better times, greater times, had longed for the start of such an era to begin again. The old powers had failed, he would sweep them aside. Under his rule the world would become strong again. They would conceive of wonders once more. He would grow in power, work only to save the world. Then claim it for himself. He would even outgrow and challenge the power of the Dark Lord himself. Only then would the power of evil be vanquished, and the world would grow strong again. Just as it should, just as it deserved, the world deserved more than elves and men and dark lords had been able to provide. And he knew that he was the one being who could achieve all this. No other was worthy, only he...and Saruman knew it. It had to be true, didn't it? He turned and went into the dark study.

With a wave of his hand, candles lit and oil lamps exploded into life once more. He closed it into a fist and the unburned coals of a freshly prepared fire hissed and caught alight. He had light now to work. So much work there was to do. He strode over to the pillar where the great relic stood. The stone of Orthanc, the Palantir. It was a work of sheer wonder and curiosity. Ethereal energies, beyond even his power and comprehension, danced and flowed through the perfect blackness of its crystalline surface. No light could penetrate its surface, and he knew of no force that could destroy it.

Walking up the final stair to his throne, he turned and placed his staff on one side. He put his hand down to support his weight, and eased himself down. He sighed deeply, then started to commune with the device. He could feel his energies passing through the stone, and its energies passing through him, feeding Saruman with knowledge and showing him sights that no one else could see. The dark lord was close at hand, it would be easy work to summon him. Saruman spoke in English, saying "The power of Isengard stirs in the night. The voices of your servants cry out, cry out your great name, Sauron, lord of Mordor" The energies of the stone began to alter, flame was forming, chasing away the shadow. "We call out for advice, seeking your council, for there are forces at work that we cannot comprehend" And the eye of Sauron appeared inside of the stone. For he knew what was troubling his puppet wizard.

Saruman the White, fallen Miar, thought himself so wise. He thought he could hide his thoughts from him, his master. Thought he could challenge him. How arrogant he was, how misguided. But the wizard had his uses, and he had vision, so strong that even Sauron could not match. Then lord Sauron spoke "You are wise, to seek my council. You speak of forces not known of this world. Not known since the beginning of time, not since the founding of our world. A strange and terrible power, walks amongst the people of the west. I have sensed him, as have you. The ring calls out to me, and speaks of a stranger from afar. I see much Saruman, more than you know. This power, this man, man from another age, and man from another world..."

The visions faded for a moment, the stones did that sometimes. Saruman was confused, what Sauron mean by another world? "...Warrior, with strength of one hundred men, mighty as one thousand. The Annihilator, of armies, and of worlds. We have a new enemy. The elves possess a new weapon, this warrior, who wields the power to change the cause of events that are yet to come. He is the Spartan, the man who would walk the stars and duel with Gods and the warriors of heaven. He walks with the ring, and guards the one who carries it, the foolish Halfling, but not so foolish as to recruit most powerful allies..." Saruman sighed. The Dark lord did like the sound of his own voice. He had to interrupt him.

"How can he be stopped?" He heard Sauron hiss in contempt, and he felt the Palantir burn in his hand. The temperature kept increasing. Saruman winced, he couldn't keep holding much longer. "...for all his strength and all his skill, he is but one man. This one man, of course, is mortal..." Saruman cried out, the crystal was burning his hands, but he would endure it, he would not show weakness here! "...you were to build me an army, worthy of my sovereignty. You must now build me warriors, worthy of this Spartan. Strong, gifted. You shall end him, quickly, or you...shall...D-I-I-I-E-E-E-E...!" And on that, Saruman had heard enough. With the image of the Spartan burning white hot inside his mind, he lost his grip, the Palantir rolled away from him, clattering down the stairs, bouncing and scratching across his dark marble floor.

Nursing his hands slightly, he stood up and grabbed his staff. He walked over to the now steaming seeing stone. He picked it up, turned it over in his hands curiously, a little shocked. The Palantir was not searingly hot anymore. It was freezing cold. Wondering how this could be, he placed it back onto its pedestal, gently. And slowly pulling the cloth over it, went over to his throne one more. He started to think things over. How could he create warriors strong enough to defeat the Spartan? He knew all about him now. Sauron had seen much through the power of the ring. His armour, his strength, speed, skill with a blade and crossbow...a crossbow, where had he gotten one of those from? Elven spies must have stolen orc designs, the thieves! He would deal with their treachery later...then an orc came weaselling through the door to his study. Saruman knew why the creature was here "Master, they-" "Yes, yes, my servant. I will come to see my new soldiers. See them for what they truly are..."

"Quietly now! Its a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our passage may go unnoticed" Gandalf knew the ways of Moria and the tunnels of the Misty Mountains well...too well! Why he didn't want to come down here. The winding steps and labyrinthine walkways, old abandoned mining systems, rotten cranes and pulley winches. The darkness, the terrible smell, you could never tell if there would be a goblin there or not. They had been travelling for two days. Chief was taken aback by how long the tunnels went on for, and then they opened up into massive caverns and openings, some natural, others not, remarkably. Dwarfs must have been mining here for hundreds of years. Hidden away from the world inside of their mines and forgeries.

Time had passed slowly, the march was dull, nothing, the stink of orcs. The darkness, the odd drip of water, a clinking chain, nothing. The most interesting thing had been on the day before. Frodo had spotted a vein of pure white metal sticking out from the side of rock. He'd never seen ore in its natural state before. He gazed at it with wonder. Gimli had noticed, and was quick to explain "The wealth of Moria was never in gold...or fine jewels...it was in mithril! Weapons and armour, quality beyond compare, night indestructible!" Frodo walked away in wonder. He couldn't help but stroke his vest, hidden beneath his shirt. Chief couldn't help but notice. The dwarf went to inspect the metal.

As he stroked it, he noticed the rough pick marks in the rock, how there was nearly no rock underneath the ore for roughly nine inches, the rubble messily strewn on the ground. Dwarfs were precise and tidy miners, the team execrating this ore must have abandoned it in a hurry. Looking round, he could see other veins of mithril, protruding far, rough pick marks all around. He worried for his people now. What tragedy had occurred here? How far had the orcs penetrated their hold? How many of his kin were dead? It wasn't pleasant to think about. He walked off, to catch up Gandalf. Leaving only Chief.

Chief was fascinated. All the metal he had seen in his life, he had only been in a mine once. "Chief, this ore does not match any known element or compound. You couldn't break a sample off could you? Little sliver? Who knows what applications it may have? I think we might have just discovered a brand new compound type, maybe even a new element!" Her heart began to sing, oh how wonderful it would be if she found that out. There was a finger of the metal just sticking out, smooth, like a handle. Perfect. Chief grabbed it, and pulled. Nothing. He tried harder. Still nothing "Tough stuff" Chief remarked "Come on Spartan, hurry, we have to stay with the group!" Cortana said.

Chief stepped back a few feet. Then as hard as he could, he kicked with all his worth. The ore didn't sheer, but the rock behind did, and with a small crack, the dagger like finger fell from the rock, and stuck into the rock beneath. Chief pulled it out. He had chipped a tiny fragment of the metal "Really tough!" Chief said in surprise. Just how tough was this stuff? He wondered how strong any refined alloy could be. Was it some sort of titanium based compound? He didn't have any idea.

A short while later, they came across a winding stairway. Gandalf stopped dead, he didn't have any memory of this track way. It was the first time Chief had seen him lost over the whole journey so far. About twenty minutes of waiting later, answering a hobbits question about his helmet torch, and a chat about something called Gollum that was following them...creepy! Gandalf had found his way

"Ah!" He had suddenly exclaimed, making everyone turn round "Its this way!" They were off again "He's remembered" Merry said excitedly "No master hobbit...but the air does not smell so foul down here. If in doubt Meriadoc, always follow your noes!" The hobbits looked around in confusion. Pippin turned to look at Chief, giving him a look that seemed to demand explanation, good thing Chief knew where the wizard was coming from "If these orcs smell as bad as everyone seems to think, than the corridor that doesn't smell probably isn't one of their lairs" The hobbits looked at each other, thinking _"Fair enough" _and moved on, quickly gathering up their gear and heading on after Gandalf and the Chief.

They must have been travelling for about an hour "How deep do these tunnel go?" Sam asked rhetorically. Another 13 minutes later, the tunnel began to widen, then opened up completely. It was a miracle they hadn't encountered any barriers. as they reached the end, they found five massive pillars, fallen and broken on the floor in front of them. It was a miracle the pillars hadn't gone and flattened the exit, they were lucky "Not strong enough I guess" Pippin remarked, going up at the ceiling, he couldn't really see. "No my friend. These pillars used to hold up one of the may great doorways that lead to another section of the city. The pillars have been torn down, destroyed...to what lengths must Balin have gone to to protect our city?" Gimli gasped in utter disbelief.

Other pillars further away were still standing. They went so high, ascending into the shadows, farther than any man, dwarf, elf, even a Spartan could see. Pitch black, apart from the dim light of wizard's staff, burning torches and UNSC LED's throwing any light around the hall. "How can you live in such lightless holes?" Legolas blurted out, aimed at Gimli "HOLES!" The Dwarf bellowed, but steeled himself a moment later. He wouldn't rise to it "Rich, coming from an elf of Mirkwood who lives in his own little mountain hole, built by dwarfs no less...but yes, it is too dark" He nodded up to the rafters of the ceiling, that couldn't be seen "There are windows up there elf. Glass stained with gold and silver and adorned with great and beautiful crystals. It must be night time. These halls should be filled with glorious light-" "-Or perhaps the dwarfs were too lazy to clear the soot from their fires!" The elf was intolerable, what was up with this guy? "Well elf...maybe you should-" "Knock it off you two!" Chief barked "Indeed Chief. More likely, Legolas, Gimli, the hall was occupied by orcs. They despise daylight. They have probably taken the gems from the murals and boarded up the stain glass windows"

Gimli hoped it wasn't true. Had the campaign to retake Moria failed completely? He only hoped his family had survived. Chief knew it was a shame. Moria must have looked like a Cathedral in its heyday. Gandalf knew it too "Let me risk some more light" He whispered, as his staff glowed all the brighter. Casting light all around the halls, and everyone marvelled at the remains of the ruined, but still breath taking hold of the Dwarfs. As the full size and majesty of the hold was revelled, revealing pillars like the skeleton of some ancient giant beast. "Behold! The Great Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Everyone was stunned. "You could fit a few _Pillar of Autumns_ in hear Chief!" Now that really put it into context!

The Fellowship stood in the middle of the majestic hallway. even Legolas was in awe, feeling deep respect for the work that the dwarfs had put into the hold. It was the pillars, nothing but colossal and mighty pillars. As if the entire mountain had been carved and hollowed out. For Chief, it was so similar to something the Forerunners would have constructed. Like the start of some new shield world. "Well there's an eye opener and no mistake" An inspired Sam exclaimed.

They all walked, amazed as the hold just kept going and going, watching the shadows dance above them, concealing the ceiling, just out of sight. It was spectacular...

"...They have taken the bridge, and the second hall" Awe had turned to horror. As they had turned a pillar, they had seen bodies. Dwarf bodies. The orcs were clever, clear the corpses of their kind, leave the dwarven fallen. Twisted skeletons, covered in spiders webs. A warning, propaganda. Gimli had seen it first, the tomb. He had ran to the tomb, and had broken down. Three days of worry, anxiety, plus the shock of his loss brought him down. It was a family member. Chief struggled to relate to the nature of the loss, but he knew all about loss itself, people he had cared about. "...We have barred the gates. But we cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums...drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out...They are coming!"

Then a crash rang out, a massive sound. It mad everyone jump. Pippin had done something. A dwarf corpse had lost its head. It went clattering and hurtling down a well shaft. Then the corpse itself, balance lost, fell too. A chain, the well mechanism, collapsed as the dwarf fell onto it. As the chain flew away from them, Chief saw the bucket, cast iron, balanced precariously on the side of the well "Dammit!" Chief cursed, the chain went taunt, and the bucket followed everything else down.

No knew exactly how far it must have fallen. Pippin thought it must have fallen into the centre of the earth. With every crash, and every terrible noise, he felt worse and worse. Once the noise had finally died away, everyone was too stunned to say anything. Had anything heard? There was no sound, nothing at all. They had gotten away with it! Hadn't they? Legolas and Aragorn raised their eyes and looked at each other, Boromir exhaled a long held breath in a very relieved sigh. Pippin hung his head, and Chief poked his head down the well, listening out for anything, anything at all, auto sensors on maximum...nothing.

"FOOL of a Took!" Gandalf gasped, slamming the book shut and putting it back down. He was beside himself, but relieved "Throw yourself down next time and RID us of your STUPIDITY!" Gandalf shook his head and began walking off. Pippin looked very ashamed of himself, Chief, right next to him, just stopped looking down the well, patted him on the back. "Shit happens" He said light heartedly, it would be wrong to be angry with the hobbit. Pip looked, managing a weak smile. Then, a moment later, there was a noise.

A single pulsing bass note, deep and resonant, but muffled. The sound reminded Chief of a heart beat, but he knew that wasn't what it was...another one rang out. Louder than the last. A horrified Fellowship turned and looked at the well, where the sound was pulsing from _Boom...Boom...Boom, Boom, Boom...Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom... _Faster and louder, every time, rising, like a crescendo. Then the shrieks started coming. It was like listening to Jackals, Chief thought, even he couldn't help but feel the tension.

"Mr Frodo" Sam gasped, pointing at his sword. Frodo was terrified, the sword was glowing blue "Oh..." He said, just as the sound of a horde of orcs came blasting through the doorway. Boromir and Chief ran out into the hallway, se what was going on, Chief first, then Boromir. As the Captain of Gondor turned the corner, two arrows shot out at them One missed Boromir's head by a centimetre, causing him to recoil and growl like a tiger. The second hit Chief in the shoulder, and his armour pulsed a little as the shield absorbed the impact. "It would take a thousand Chief!" Cortana reassured "Get Back! Both of you!" Gandalf barked, the two did as they were asked. Chief Barricaded the door, Slamming two heavy looking axes into the door. "That won't hold long" He analysed. He had to do everything in his power to protect the Hobbits, the others would watch their own backs. Boromir, assisted by Aragorn Drove one more axe, and two Dwarven pikes into the door. Then they Drew back.

Chief drew his crossbow, loaded the magazine, primed the steel drawstring, laid his first bolt. He stood at the head of the group, silent, motionless, flawlessly disciplined. Gandalf threw his hat and staff to one side, and with an eager roar, drawing Glamdring. The Hobbits followed suit, and the others prepared their weapons. The fellowship were ready, Chief was ready "Good luck Chief. Remember, there's always surprises in this world!" Chief would be on his guard, but he did wonder what would be able to bring him down...that wasn't his priority. His priority was protecting the Fellowship. And he would give all he had to get that done...


	15. Baruk Khazard

Only then did the door start to rock back and forth. The orcs threw themselves at the rotten corpse of the gate. Rotten, weak and brittle hinges, held up by just a few poles and axes, it would not last.

The fellowship stood ready. bows in hand, swords in hand. Ready. The hobbits were terrified. Before they had been hunted by wraiths, but this was different, this was all out combat. They didn't quite know what to do. What if they couldn't deal with it? Would they freeze? Gandalf stood ready, eagerly awaiting the orcs. Stood by the hobbits, their guardian angel. He would protect Frodo and his friends, and would give his life if that was asked.

Gimli clutched his axes, snarling and stamping and snorting, like and enraged, adrenaline fuelled bull. Ready to charge anything that moved. He was ready to avenge his fallen brothers, and was ready to let the orcs very ancestors feel the crush of his axe!

Boromir, gutsy, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feat, like a heavyweight boxer. Ready to beat it out of the opposition once all hell broke loose. He swung his sword around in a few practice sweeps, feeling the balance point. He was loose and without stress, veteran of two dozen battles. Only his shield arm was tense, taught and strong - unmovable.

Aragorn and Legolas were ready. Almost stock still. Bows in hand, arrows primed, ready to snipe the first orc that came. Aragorn, tall, rugged, indomitable. Legolas, no doubts, not a single one playing across his elven mind. Perfect posture, dignified, primed and ready like a tort spring.

But impressive as they all were, no one could help but gaze at the Master Chief, and gaze in complete wonder.

He held his massive crossbow at the hip. Steel bolt primed, would send an orc flying. They guessed he would swap to auto firing after the first shot. Seven foot tall, 1000 pounds of metal, muscle, bone and indomitable fighting spirit. Their greatest weapon, their mightiest member, he stood at the head of them all. Stood stock still, how could he be so still? Like a statue...no, statues would have a hard time matching his impossible stillness! He was their lynchpin, their sentinel, and everyone was ready to see what the Spartan could really do!

The orcs were pushing hard, and the first of the rotten planks of wood began to fall away. The hobbits looked on in fear as the doors began to disintegrate. As holes began to appear, hacking away with cruel blades and heavy spears, they started to open the holes up, as if hoping to crawl through. _"Not yet Spartan, not yet!" _Chief thought to himself. He was holding fire, keeping disciplined, waiting until he was absolutely sure he could kill one of them.

Legolas however was working off of a completely different combat philosophy, and using a millennia of experience, planted an arrow through the weak point under one of the goblins' arms. The creature squealed in pain as he received the mortal wound and fell back as the arrow struck its diseased heart. Aragorn tied a shot. It struck true, but wasn't a killing blow. Just as Legolas aimed his second, the orcs gave another massive shunt, and finally ripped the door down.

_"NOW!"_ Chief screamed in his mind, and to the surprise of everyone, a statue turned into a falcon, and chief was on the goblins. He fired his first bolt. Hitting a goblin centre in the head. The large bolt kept going, impaling another two behind, and the two very surprised orcs fell, clawing at the bolt they couldn't get out. Chief strafed forwards, and flipping the crossbow around, pummelled the orcs with a volley of semi automatic fire. Three orcs fell, and another was stunned, before getting another well placed bolt through its skull.

Getting over the initial shock of the Spartan's sudden charge, Legolas and Aragorn fired again, Aragorn bringing down the orc he had hit previously, Legolas landing one right between the eyes. Chief didn't miss it. A risky, but impressive shot. Chief holstered the crossbow, and in an instant, had drawn his claymore, and kneeling, took out his first two orcs, slamming against the shallow brick corridor of the doorway. Spinning, letting two orcs pass by, he brought the claymore upwards, upper-cutting a first. Then with the momentum of the strike, brought the sword all the way round, and upper-cutted a second. launching a savage kick, he sent an orc flying into two behind, laying them out, ducking under a spear, kneeling and bringing his blade down into a low arc, cut another four orcs down. Two more arrows claiming the two behind, just as he knew they would. The merits of teamwork! The two archers had his back.

Chief continued on like this, no orc could touch him, and not another passed him by. He had pushed them back, single handily, to the edge of the doorway. Cutting them down with every rise and fall of his colossal sword, with well timed, perfect strikes, he was efficient, never giving in to wild abandon. The fellowship were completely awestruck, not even they had expected the Spartan to be capable of this much. He was fighting the orcs of Moria by himself! Even Gandalf hadn't expected this much.

Gimli was outraged, he wanted to avenge the deaths of his brothers, the death of Balin. At this rate... "Don't you dare Spartan. Don't you dare!" He growled under his breath.

Chief's mind was calm, cool, no anger, no fear. Darting quickly at motion tracker, gazing at a sea of red, a swarm of contacts, not since the flood had he seen something like that. Good thing it was only orcs. Was this all he had to content with? Some stunted little critters with heavy, poorly designed weaponry? "Chief, look above you. WATCH OUT!" Chief couldn't help but pause a little. There was a giant shadow looming over him. He remembered the hunters, ten foot tall combat monsters, something with shining white eyes was staring at him. With a roar and a belch, a massive piece of rock came flying towards him, a massive club! Only backwards to go to, Chief couldn't get out of the way.

The wrecking ball came down, and Chief was thrown high into the air by the massive shunt and incredible power of the attack. Landing on his back, he slid for about three feet, and then hit Balin's tomb behind him. That's how far he'd been thrown back! "So that's what a troll looks like round here? I told you there are always surprises Chief!" Low pitched warnings went off all around his armour. His shield had gone down, and sparks of golden energy flew out from his armour. "A Cave troll, move back!" Shouted Gandalf "MOVE BACK!" Legolas and Aragorn retreated, followed by Boromir, who cut down an orc for every stride he fell back. As the orcs surged forwards, their morale buoyed by the arrival of their secret weapon, launched themselves at the ranks of the fellowship.

"Not bad laddie! Now its the time of the dwarfs!" He roared. Even though Chief had rose to his feet as soon as soon as he had stopped sliding, Gimli had vaulted over his head, using muscle and power alone. Blood drunk, he rushed head long into the horde, bowling half a dozen of them over with an incredible rugby tackle. "I've got plenty for the lot of yer!" As he mowed down the first stunted excuse of an orc that came at him.

"He's gonna get himself killed Chief, you're gonna have to back him up!" Cortana yelled, Chief knowing she was right. _"At least I didn't drop my sword!"_ he thought to himself. He followed the angry dwarf, and joined the sweeping melee. Sensing the time was right, Gandalf screamed in defiance and charged, followed bravely by the hobbits, not wanting to let their friends down.

Frodo ducked under an orc sword and instinctively stabbed out at the orc, sting biting through the creature's breast plate with ease. Sam not an inch away from Frodo, swipes at its leg, and as the orc falls, they both stab again at the creature, just in case. Another is overwhelmed by a combined effort from Merry and Pippin, two slow with its heavy, unwieldy spear. They'd picked up a few tricks from Boromir, they went back to back, and took out another three orcs, the third one was through teamwork, Merry stabbing over his small friend's head, out at the wicked orc.

The men are making short work of the creatures, fighting hard before the troll advanced on them, Aragorn yells out and decapitates two of them, black bloods squirting and oozing out from their bodies. Boromir fights at least four at once, pushing with the shield, picking perfect stabs and swipes with which to cut his enemies down. But none could quite match the Chief. He was just as skilful, but with the speed, strength and dexterity of his enhanced body, cut apart enemies with every perfect swipe, orc iron no match for elven composite blade and Mjolnir power. Chief swore that their metallurgy was superior to any human smith could ever have matched.

Gimli was whirling his axes in a dwarven fury. "Baruk Khazard! Khazard ai-menu!" He had gone berserk. Orcs fell by the second, no answers to the ferocious, vengeful dwarf. Nothing but combat on his mind, every ounce of his fibre, inspired by the cold fury of the Chief. Chief himself was amazed, he was almost being outcompeted by the madman! Legolas had hopped up onto a broken pillar. Sniping and kicking any orc down that tried to get at him. Chief kicks an orc behind him, heavy boot denting the helmet, compressing the skull, the orc falling down dead.

Sam had somehow found himself at the head of the fellowship. Too busy hacking at orcs with his sword, and beating them up with his frying pan! He heard a fierce roar, and gazed up in absolute horror at the massive troll leering over him. Club raised "SAM!" Chief yelled out. Spinning round, he grabbed a steel bolt from its quiver, and threw it like a javelin. Legolas had also noticed, and took a shot at the troll, somehow using two arrows at once. Shaken by the sudden attack, the troll swung clumsily down at the small hobbit, missing him completely. Sam ran forwards, crawling under the trolls tree-like legs. The creature dumbly stared down at the hobbit as he crawled away.

"Over here yeah clumsy beast!" Roared Gimli, and threw an axe hard at the troll. The enraged brute charged at the dwarf, bowling over orc after orc to get at its quarry. Coming to his senses, the red mist lifting, Gimli looked up in terror at the charging creature. He jumped back, barely avoiding the heavy club as it swung by from the right. As Gimli lay there, the troll raised the club above its head, about to land the final blow. But quick as a flash. Chief jumped up towards the creature, using skills he had developed from ancient jiujutsu, kicked the troll clean in the head, and as he jumped away, swiped with his claymore, taking many troll teeth and spit with him!

The troll was thrown to the left by the attack, and taken completely off balance, missed the dwarf. Gimli knew what the Chief had done for him, but he couldn't stop. He took his axe from the ground, and threw it at an orc that was leaping through the air at him. He ducked, and it smashed into the pillar behind. He unholstered his heavy double sided axe, and filling his mind with the memory of his fallen cousin, was ready to take on the orcs once more.

Aragorn and Boromir were standing back to back, bringing down anything that came towards them, a small mountain of bodies scattered around them. They seemed unmovable, that was until the troll came hurtling towards them, still falling to the right after the hit from Chief. Aragorn grabbed Boromir, and threw him behind him, away from the battle. Aragorn stood his ground, fending off the orcs, guarding Boromir while he got back to his feet. "No Aragorn! Get away!" Aragorn looked up, he had a single second before the troll completely lost its balance and flattened him. Leaping to the left, the beast just missed him. But now the heir of Isildur was in real trouble, the orcs were baring on him. He stabbed upwards, the first one fell, stabbed in the neck. But there were others. Legolas had seen him, and launched two quick arrows, each one a kill shot. But even he wasn't fast enough, there were still four others.

"Aragorn!" Boromir screamed, trying to cut his way through a swarm of orcs in front of him, but it was futile, they just kept coming. Aragorn was at their mercy, he was about to die. Then to his astonishment, two hobbits came charging out from a nearby pillar. They stopped the orcs dead. Standing over the ranger, they had saved him! Legolas fired, hitting an unhelmeted one in the back of the head...dead before it hit the ground. Working together, Pip and Merry held the last three off long enough for Aragorn to stand, retrieve his sword and end the fight for them whilst the three orcs were distracted.

Aragorn gazed at his two little saviours with thankful eyes. He would never forget this moment.

Chief was backing up Gandalf, when suddenly something hit his leg. Wary, he looked down, but realise in shock it was Frodo "FRODO! Gandalf, get Frodo away from here. I'll hold off the orcs!" As he cleaved another half dozen apart, Gandalf struck another down, as did Frodo, and Gandalf grabbed his hand, looking out for the other three. "Pippin, Meriadoc! Help Frodo hide, keep away from the troll! With me Aragorn!" More came at them, and as the ranger and wizard fought the orcs off, the three hobbits got to safety. Hiding behind a cluster of pillars, where none of the orcs seemed to be.

Chief spied the troll. It was going for elf had his back turned to the troll, hadn't noticed, too busy knifing some other foes. Was the troll settling a grudge perhaps? It had fallen on its club in the fall, crushing it, the bloated creature! "Legolas, behind you!" The elf span round, and with remarkable reflexes, dodged the chain, bending down low. The chain wrapped around the pillar behind, and would not budge. Legolas sheathed his knifes and drew his bow. He then did something quite remarkable. The chain bobbing unstably as the troll tried to wrench it free, Legolas vaulted onto the chain, and with balance that made even Chief's jaw drop, darted over onto the Trolls shoulders. He then proceeded to launch an arrow right at the creatures head, firing at point blank range. The jumped off of the enraged creature before it could even touch him "How on earth did he do that?" Cortana called out in disbelief.

Chief wasn't dumbstruck, be pressed home the advantage. He stuck his claymore into a dead orc, and drew his crossbow. Pulling back the drawstring, he placed a steel bolt into the mechanism. Taking a strong firing stance, he aimed, guessing where the creatures heart had to be, and fired. The bolt bit deep, and the troll, chasing after Legolas screamed and fell down. To Chief's amazement, the troll wheezed, pulled the missile out, and climbed back up, but weakened now, its right ventricle loosing blood. Chief primed again, a second shot would end it. But the creature had turned. It was heading for the hobbits! Worse still, Chief's path was blocked completely. Between him and his protective charge lay a group of about 50 orcs. Some were engaged, others were not. They were to scared to charge him, waiting for him to make his move. He would abandon his sword for this.

Chief fired his bolt at the biggest one he could see, laying it out, killing it outright. Flipping the crossbow round and reloading, he started pumping some well aimed shots into the ranks of goblins. Could he reach them in time? Was he about to fail his mission. He couldn't help but think about his lost assault rife.

Frodo cried out, the troll had found him! It reached out with his massive hand, pulling the helpless hobbit towards him. "Aragorn!" He cried out in desperation "ARAGORN!" Chief knew he was almost too late, but to his relief, Aragorn suddenly came out of nowhere and charged at the colossal troll. He was hefting a massive spear, more like a streetlamp than anything a man would lift, he stabbed the troll hard, punching just underneath the creatures chest. The weapon bit deep, and the troll roared in sheer agony. But the troll still wouldn't go down. Chief took a pot shot, at the leg, but the troll stood firm. Merry and Pippin threw rocks. They were good shots, but it was a futile effort. The troll rallied itself, and swatted Aragorn away from him. The hapless ranger hit a stone pillar hard, and was motionless. Chief feared the worst.

Then to the Spartan's horror, he saw Frodo run out, trying to help Aragorn, but exposing himself completely to everything that wanted to kill him. The troll was right above him "Frodo no! Get away from him!" Chief redoubled his efforts. He barged the remaining orcs out of the way, like an American footballer, picking up as much speed as he could, but it was like running though water. The troll pulled the spear out, it was about to strike. "NO!" Chief yelled, but it was already too late. Chief suddenly froze, and as the spear came down, his heart sank lower than he thought it ever could...

"ungh...uuh!" Frodo groaned, catching the attention of every member of he fellowship. "FRODOOOO!" Sam yells out, louder than Chief thought a hobbit possibly could. And inspired everyone to fight with everything they had. Chief stared at the troll with pure hatred and revenge. Chief had a score to settle. As the last of the orcs were being calved apart and Frodo fell motionless onto the ground, Chief jumped between the two. The troll recoiled a little, and licked the part of its mouth that was missing. It let go of the spear, and made a fist. It had just started to move, when Chief punched the creature himself, almost ripping the ground below him he punched so hard.

The troll knew for a moment what it had to feel like to get hit by a heavyweight boxer, and sprawled to the left. Chief drew his knife, and stabbed deep into the midriff of the troll. The troll roared, and tried to swat the Spartan aside. Chief, to the troll's amazement, stopped the arm dead, and wrapping his arms around the tree trunk like appendage, twisted and broke the trolls wrist. With the orcs dead, everyone watched in awe as Chief let go of the trolls arm, and hammer punched it, sending it sprawling a little to the left again. Chief pulled the knife out, and stabbed again, the troll sank to one knee, its many injuries and the sheer agony coming from them starting to take its toll. Chief pulled the knife out, and launching himself at the troll, stuck the knife into its left eye. As the troll screamed, and clawed at the place it hurt, Chief took one of the grenades from his belt, time to end it! Aragorn was just coming round at this point.

Chief pulled the pin and started to count. "One!" He bellowed, punching the troll in the side of the face. The beast spat blood and viscera, Chief sure he could hear it whimpering "Two!" He pulled the knife out and stuck it in the other one. The troll screamed all the louder, and when it had opened its mouth all the way full..."Three!" Chief shoved the grenade deep into the creatures throat, and jumped to safety. He looked round, the fellowship was far enough away...BANG! Everyone jumped as the sound of the explosion tore through the small cave. Once the dust had settled, the eight travellers stared in horror at the troll. seeing where the head and most of the thorax had been. Stunned by the sheer violence of the creatures death "Ruthless! Where is Frodo? Please, you have to find him!" Cortana pleaded. Chief ran towards the last place he had seen the hobbit.

"Where is he?" Chief demanded. He didn't have to give a name for everyone to understand who he meant. Aragorn and Sam were already at his side "Oh no!" Aragorn gasped as he crawled towards the fallen hobbit. Sam was ready to burst into tears. Chief just stood there, fist clenched, staring at the ground _"Not again! Please, not again!" _He silently prayed to himself. Cortana already knew "I'm sorry Chief. You saw what happened. There is absolutely no way that..." "Cough, cough, cough!" Frodo spluttered into life as Aragorn pulled him around, stunning absolutely everyone when he did. Chief looked bolt upright. Sam and the other hobbits ran towards him. Gimli and Boromir stood wide eyed. Aragorn couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"He's alive!" Sam sighed in relief, not quite aware of what him being alive was actually implying "...This isn't...that isn't...he can't be..." Cortana stuttered in complete disbelief. "Don't worry, I'm alright. I'm not hurt" Frodo replied, a little winded "Not hurt?" Aragorn breathed in disbelief "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" But Gandalf was a little wiser than the rest of them "I think there is more to this miracle, than meets the eye. Am I right, Frodo Baggins?" Frodo nodded, and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a beautiful silver chainmail plate. Gimli gasped, knowing immediately what it was "Mithril!" He gasped in absolute amazement. Cortana remembered the sample they had taken from the mine "Chief. You have got to learn everything you can about the dwarves and how they forge mithril. We have to take this compound back to the UNSC. We could be about to make the greatest metallurgical discovery since the development of Nano engineering!"

Chief knew she was right, such a thin mail shirt had stopped the blade AND absorbed the power of the attack. Then, a high pitched, and very, very familiar shrieking began to float over his auto sensors. Everyone else could hear it. His motion sensor began to fill, fill with red. There had to be hundreds this time. Chief was standing next to Gandalf "Sir. We keep the hobbits safe, no matter the cost. We're leaving Moria right now!" Gandalf knew he was right. There was only death for them here "To the bridge of Khazad-Dum!" They followed him to the broken doorway, able to escape before more orcs showed up. Chief grabbed his claymore, and made after them. He would be what stood between the fellowship and the orcs of Moria on their mad dash for the bridge of Khazad-Dum!


	16. Spirit of Fire

Finely crafted arches and pillars, beautiful murals and ornate runes and carvings. They didn't have time to admire any of these things, for the fellowship was running for its life, away from the hordes of the orcs. A Spartan can run at speeds that boggle the mind, Chief himself had often run at speeds easily in excess of 50kph. But he had to tone it down, the mission was to protect the fellowship. He jogged behind them at the rear, crossbow ready, loaded and primed, if an orc came within 100 yards of his position, he would neutralise it. Chief glanced behind for a moment, and was a little shocked. A huge mass of them was running them down "There are thousands Chief, I've never seen anything like it!" Neither had Chief.

After all his years of war, he had seen some amazing sights. The halo array, covenant cruisers, elites and remarkable alien species. But this was something from an older era of war, more archaic, no less brutal. Seeing a horde of thousands of enemies coming at you was no less fearful than seeing any modern horror of war, and a blade was instinctually more intimidating than a gun.

The fellowship was too slow, a dwarf in heavy armour, an old wizard and four tiny hobbits, they weren't fast enough, the orcs were fast, and they were being run down. Chief considered halting, trying to hold the orcs back whilst the others escaped, fight them off, than escape and meet up with the others later. But than as he heard shrieks from other directions, he knew that this wouldn't make a difference.

In whatever direction he looked, Chief sees goblins pouring out of doorways, cracks and holes in the walls, through the floors, above him through the ceiling, hundreds scaling down the pillars and walls at incredible speeds. "Evil ghosts, walking cuttlefish, now spider orcs? Is anything in this world fair?" Chief knew where he was coming from. Chief was obviously as deadly as anything in this world, and he would take out hundreds of the monsters coming for them, but for a man of this era? What could a normal man do against such monsters?

As the fellowship turn a corner, they stop dead. Staring right into the white pits of orc eyes. "Frodo, get back, with me!" Chief yells, they are surrounded, there's no way out of this for the others. Gandalf stands with Chief and the hobbits, they stare into each others eyes, even without seeing them Gandalf knows what the Spartan is thinking, the wizard rolls his sword in a practice swipe Chief nods, swapping crossbow for sword. "To whatever end" Gandalf sighs.

The orcs and their goblin cousins who stand amongst their ranks, snarling menacingly, they feared the free peoples, but there was safety in numbers. Chief is silent, his face taunt and grim as he draws his knife. He knows that there is no way out of this, their was enough orcs to fill the entire cavern, pressing shoulder to shoulder.

"There's enough bodies here just to crush you Chief. I'm sorry!" Chief gripped his blades tightly, he could see the look in the enemies' eyes, they weren't here to capture them, they were here to kill them! The orcs started tightening the circle, closing in. Chief would protect the hobbits till his dying breath, never give up, never!

Then the roar came. It sounded almost electric. Deep, so deep, so guttural, impossibly guttural. Purely primal, and above all else, utterly horrifying to hear. The orcs were terrified, chattering and wailing like monkeys flitting through the trees, running, flying from some predator. And fly the goblins did, a second roar, just as terrible as the last, sent them fleeing. Back through the rock, the nooks and tight crannies, and scampered back up the sides of the walls and pillars, towards the roof, as quickly as they had first appeared. Moria was empty, or was it?

What was that glow, that roar, that terrible primal roar. A light, like the glow and aura only lava could produce. "What is this new devil?" A wary Boromir asks, voicing everyone's thought. What was coming for them? What could have scared the orcs enough to run away in fear. Than Chief noticed Gandalf's body language, incredibly tense, almost shaking, head bowed...it was dread, terrible powerful dread. Gandalf knows what is coming "What the hell are we up against Gandalf?" Chief asked, knowing that they had to act immediately. Gandalf sighed, and regained his composure once more, just as another bellow came there way "It is a Balrog!" The wizard finally replied. The hate and contempt in his voice as obvious as the sun on a blue and cloudless day. "It is a demon, of the ancient world, the world beyond time"

Cortana got to work immediately, she had copied the entire works of the mythology of middle earth into her database. And when she pulled up the information on her CPU, she gasped in utter shock. She immediately pulled an image of the creature up. A sketch of a mural from one of the books, which she had filled with a false colour spectrum. "A picture speaks a thousand words Chief" Cortana covered Chief's entire HUD with Balrog, and completely stunned her Spartan. Chief was a little horrified, it was as if something had been dragged out of the pits of hell itself. It was colossal, large as a covenant scarab, dwarfing the elven warrior who stood before it on the image he was gazing at. Horned, terrible eyeless pits of red magma, a monster "Shadow and flame" Chief breathed in awe "The very same Spartan. This foe is beyond all of you...we must run...RUN!" On that, the entire fellowship sprant away, in the opposite direction of the light that gradually filling the hall.

They follow Gandalf through a small doorway. Gandalf stops suddenly, allowing the others to pass. Only Chief and Aragorn stayed with him, refusing to follow the others, refusing to leave him behind. Exhaustion suddenly washes over the old wizard, who slumps against the archway of the door, Aragorn goes over to support him, help him keep his feet. Gandalf knows what he must do. The Balrog would peruse them to the ends of the earth. It was a creature of Morgoth, the former master of Sauron, the demon would follow the ring 'till the ends of the earth. He had to do this "You two are the best hope for the fellowship now" Gandalf began" Aragorn moved closer "Gandalf?" What was he saying? Gandalf turned to Chief "John, do you trust me?" "Yes sir" Chief replied immediately "And do you trust Aragorn?" Chief glanced over quickly, and turning back to Gandalf said "With my life" Aragorn was moved and shocked by this sudden admission. Did John hold him in such high regard? "Than you will guard him with your life Spartan" Gandalf turns to Aragorn

"You must lead them on Aragorn, the bridge is near!" He nodded to the right, they could see the bridge through the archway of the door. "No, were not leaving you!" Chief replied to the old wizard. Gandalf suddenly regaining his strength, he grabbed hold of the two men, and pushed them through the doorway "Do as I say! For swords will be no more use here. I'm not going anywhere yet!" And on that, Aragorn and John followed him through the doorway, re-joining the waiting fellowship. A very pale looking Boromir was sitting on the steps of the chamber. He had lost his torch, and had just been saved from a very large fall by an ever attentive Legolas. "Come on, forward!" Aragorn ordered, and with Gandalf at their head, they moved onwards, down the massive and twisting walkways of Moria.

The Balrog roars again in fury as the fellowship descends, towards the base of the mountain, light and rising flame consuming the stone below. Would it affect the foundations of the pathways they were walking on. Chief Legolas pull to the head of the group, but are quickly stopped by a large gap in the walkway. Legolas jumps across immediately, followed by Chief, little more than hopping across. A shout from the Balrog, and it charged the entrance of the chamber, its massive bulk and strength putting colossal fractures into the already weakened masonry. "Common Gandalf" Legolas called out, he and Chief backed up to give him room. The old man prepared himself, and made it too the other side. A millisecond later, an arrow flew down from somewhere above them, and hit the stairway, exactly where Gandalf had just been standing. Everyone looked up, Chief immediately drawing his crossbow, pointing at where it had come from. "Chief, there are orcs up there, their trying to snipe us, take them out!"

Chief aimed at a target on the far left, a straightforward shot, he tightened him grip on the stock, held his breath...than to his surprise, Legolas fired a shot, not taking a second to aim. Distracted, Chief watched as the arrow sped towards one of the orc archers. And to his amazement, struck one straight between the eyes. The beast keeled over, and shrieking, fell down into the depths below. Chief looked back round, and placed an steel bolt straight into another of the orcs chest, and was thrown away into the shadows. "Merry, pippin!" Boromir shouted, and grabbing the two hobbits, powered his way over the ravine. As he did so, large portions of the stairway collapsed. Chief hadn't realised the stairway was this deteriorated. What had before been a long hop, was now a considerable jump to the other side. The others had to get over. Chief considered jumping back himself, But didn't know if the platform could take his weight. The others had to organise themselves. Besides, with arrows raining down, he had other priorities "Cover the fellowship Legolas, we have to keep them pinned down" Chief ordered, picking off another orc, another clean hit to the chest.

"Sam, quickly" Aragorn grabbed hold of the hobbit, and threw him over, Gandalf was waiting, catching Sam, safe! Argorn went to grab Gimli, but the dwarf's stubbornness and pride got in the way. "No one, tosses a dwarf!" He bellowed, before foolishly hurling himself at the gap. Chief and Legolas both looked round, they knew he wasn't going to make it. Legolas was closer, and he reacted. He grabbed the dwarf before he went hurtling over the edge "Oi! No, mind the beard!" The dwarf screamed out in agony. But with a grunt, he and Legolas managed to get him across. Only Frodo and Aragorn to go. Chief and Legolas had picked off the orcs, things were looking up!

Then the chamber shook again, the Balrog once again trying to break through to the other side. The stairway trembled, and more masonry sheered away on the other, exactly where the two were standing. Aragorn acted decisively, he grabbed Frodo, and threw him back up the stairs, he than leaped towards him, and only just made it. "Jesse, that was close!" Cortana remarked. Chief wished she would shut up, they now had a serious problem. It was too far, too far for either Aragorn or Frodo to get over the gap. Chief knew he couldn't get back over there in any conceivable way. "Shit!" John cursed. The two were trapped. It had to be them two, didn't it?

Than, everything changed. The Balrog suddenly threw itself at the doorway once more. Whole sections of masonry, the size of houses began to sheer away from the ceiling, and one of them inevitably hit the stairway, fortunately behind where Aragorn and Frodo were standing. All that is supporting the platform that they stand on is a thin pillar of worn rock. The Balrog throws itself at the chamber one final time, and the support finally gives out. Fragments begin to fall away below them, and the unstable stairway begins to wobble and shake. "Frodo, hang on!" Aragorn screams at the terrified hobbit, grabbing his arm. Things were desperate, the platform was about the collapse, when it did, Aragorn and Frodo would die. "Cortana, please. Any suggestions? Quickly!" They had seconds left. "Umm, I...umm, I don't know, I..." But then Aragorn took control of the situation, feeling the centre of gravity shifting, he knew what to do "Lean forward!" He suddenly ordered. Cortana heard him "Yes! That will work, that will work. Brilliant!" she shouted excitedly.

The platform began to fall, twisting, from Chief's perspective the back end falling away to the right, but forward they were coming "Common!" Legolas shouted, willing it to work, willing them to be safe. Than the platform flew forwards, and hit the other side with a mighty crash. Aragorn and Frodo flew forwards, but Chief and the others were ready to catch them. "Not bad" John says to Aragorn "Thank you" He replies in earnest. As the ten very relived companions run down the rest of the stairway, Chief stops for a moment, and watches as the platform disintegrates and disappears into the depths below. Thinking about how things could have gone. He then turns, and speeds after the rest of the fellowship, and re-joining Gandalf, returns to the head of the column once more.

The ground beyond the chamber is choked with smoke and fire, white hot flame rising above into the ceiling beyond. "Over the bridge!" A very agitated Gandalf screams out "Fly!" Chief stays with him, wiling the fellowship on "Keep going, move, move!" Than as the final member has passed him. Chief hears the most terrible sound of them all. A long and terrible hiss. A mighty roar, indistinguishable from the roar of a full and burning furnace. Chief turns slowly, the intense light of the flame flaring off of the reflective golden surface of his visor. Once he has moved all the way round, it is than when the Balrog finally leaps out of the flames.

Chief stares at the monster before him, nothing, nothing that he has experienced in his entire life preparing him for this foe. Five times the height of himself, muscular, if it even had muscles, and when it roared at them the heat coming from its jaws seared the face of Gandalf and caused Chiefs shield to flare dimly. There was nothing Chief could do here. "Go Spartan! GO NOW!" And it is at this moment where the Balrog charges, and as its feet shake the ground below them, the wizard and the Spartan, for one of the first times in both of their lives, turn and run.

"Get to Frodo John! Leave me!" His order is so sincere and so compelling that Chief could not help but obey him (Little does he know that Gandalf is casting a spell on him) Chief accelerates, and moving as fast as his legs will allow, hurtles over the bridge at 62kph, and quickly re-joins the rest of the fellowship. When he finally reaches Frodo, he notices that everyone is still staring at the bridge. And when he turns, he is horrified to see that Gandalf is confronting the Balrog. "You cannot pass!" The authority and rage in his voice is remarkable. "GANDALF!" Frodo screams, why is he not running. The creature rises up on demonic wings, and burns with the intensity of a star, forcing everyone except John and Gandalf to look away. "What is he doing?" Cortana shouts in protest "Saving us" Chief replies, he understands completely. He knows the fellowship must move on. But even the Master Chief cant bring himself to turn away from this.

"I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Arnor!" Gandalf bellows, raising his staff above his head, just as the Balrog forms a fire wreathed sword from its very hand, seemingly made of molten metal. A white aura, of pure light forms around the wizard "Dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" He screams defiantly, just as the massive avatar brings its sword down. "Aaaaaagh!" Screaming in defiance, the light and fire meet, the sword stops, and both magical forms are annihilated. Chief was sure he could register shock and frustration on the face of the Balrog. "Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf commands with contempt. But the Balrog is undeterred. It advances, and places a foot on the start of the bridge. It draws another weapon, a cruel looking whip. It brings the weapon down, Chief had seen ballistic missiles move more slowly, but Gandalf ducks, and the whip flies harmlessly over his head.

Gandalf draws his sword, he holds his staff high "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" And slams the talisman down, a shockwave pushes the Balrog back, all the fellowship goes to hold their ears, Chief is also stunned, amazed by what has basically been a flash-bang grenade go off, plus a shockwave that would give a landmine a run for its money. The Balrog stares down at its adversary. Gandalf stands defiant. The Balrog rushes forward, weapon held high, drawing to its full height...but now the bridge it too weak. As soon as it brings its weight down, the bridge collapses, and the Balrog falls, crying out in defeat, the monster disappears from view, and leaves a victorious Gandalf at the edge of the broken bridge of Khazad-Dum, defiant...and victorious.

A weary Gandalf, physically drained by his battle, turns to walk away. Chief spots something out of the corner of his eye, and in an instant, admiration turns to horror. The falling Balrog lashes out with its whip, and it wraps around the leg of the old wizard. Gandalf cries out, as the weapon bites and burns his flesh, then pulls him down as the full weight of the Balrog takes his legs out from under him. As the whip falls away into the darkness, Gandalf lets go of his weapons and grabs the edge of the broken bridge.

Chief accelerates and runs at Gandalf, moving as fast as he could. Frodo follows him, but is stopped quickly by Boromir, he sees the goblins advancing. He knows the Spartan is safe, he knows Frodo is vulnerable "No! Don't!" Boromir yells "Gan-daalf!" Frodo screams, trying to work his way free. Gandalf desperately tries to pull himself up, but he has no more strength left, his arms go weak, go limp, he falls again. He can barely hold on. John is about half way, if Gandalf can just hold a little longer. Gandalf is finished, his strength has abandoned him. He gazes once more into Frodo's eyes, a painful lump forming in his throat, knowing the way it has to be, he can hear his lord calling his name. Frodo falls still and stops struggling, realising what he has done. His time now come, Gandalf embraces his fate, and speaks his last

"Fly you fools!" And with a sigh of defeat, knowing another chance would come, he lets go of the rock, and begins to fall. Chief jumps for him, grabbing out wildly, he missed. "Noooooooooo!" Frodo calls out, full of sadness and pain. Chief just gases at the old man as he falls, the sadness in his eyes, falling into shadow...gone! "Nooooooo!" "Aragorn!" He hears Boromir shout. Aragorn finally tears his eyes away, and retreats from the arrows of the orcs and goblins. Chief remains, he is petrified to the spot, staring into the void where Gandalf disappeared. His shield flares, arrows ping off of it. But Chief is completely oblivious to the outside world "Chief please, he's gone! You have to move. You have to move right now! The fellowship needs you...more than ever now!" And John was finally thrust back into the real world. With anger in his heart he drew his crossbow, he primed a single steel bolt. He aimed, held, fired. Two orcs fell down dead. Than Chief stood, and holstering his weapon, ran back out towards the light.

When Chief immerged into daylight, into the outside world once more, the blasted rock of the misty mountains, the moss and wind, the cloudy sky. But there in front of him, the fellowship was mourning. "Chief..." The saddened voice of Cortana floated over his internal speakers. "Please, not now" Chief says simply. The others are distraught. Sam is closest, he sits, heaped over, his head in his hands, sobbing quietly. Merry, his face shocked and flushed, comforts his friend, Pippin, who lies crying in his lap. Boromir holds onto Gimli, explosively venting out his rage and sorrow in a sea of curses and empty vows of vengeance. Legolas stares out into the cloud covered early morning sky, a look of confusion and disbelief, seeming puzzled somehow.

Chief is also taking it hard. He knows that he could never have reached Gandalf in time, but he still blames his death on himself. He understands why Gandalf had to do this, but it still isn't enough. After three decades of war, three decades of hardship and loss and heartbreak, Chief would never be able to get over the loss of a comrade, especially a friend...he kept his anger and sorrow supressed, he couldn't let the feelings overcome him, even though he felt just as much as they did.

Only Aragorn has kept his composure, he knows just as well as Chief why he can't let his feelings get the better of him, as their leader, he doesn't have the luxury of being able to mourn his passing. "Legolas, get them up!" Legolas turns on Aragorn, shock in his eyes, appealing for him to let the others rest...but than he understands. Nodding softly, he heads over to the nearest hobbit. Boromir is having none of it, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" He cries, always having believed in a kind of happy medium between the two. "By nightfall Boromir these hills will be swarming with orcs...we must reach sanctuary, we must reach the woods of Lothlorien" Bormomir didn't agree with him, but he understood.

Chief had regained control of himself once more "Aragorn is right, we cant let emotions cloud our mind, Gandalf's sacrifice will be for nothing if they catch up to us..." Boromir had had enough, Aragorn's insensitivity was one thing, but this Spartan! "How can you deal with this so easily? Are you so ignorant, so dull, so inhuman Spartan that you cannot feel the pain of loosing someone so close to you? Do you feel nothing? Can you not find empathy with the poor hobbits, and with the rest of us?"

Chief felt his anger returning to him. He walked very slowly over to Boromir, stopping when he was just a couple of inches from him. Boromir almost went for his sword when the Spartan bent down, and his hooded visor pressed against his face. John is ready. With both of his fists clenched, he replies "I know the feeling, Boromir. I have felt, every single one of these emotions...just as I feel them now. I have felt them, every time I have watched one of my comrades die, watched my friends die, watched a member of my family, die. I fought in a war that lasted 27 years. From its beginning and until its end, I fought in it. I was there when many of my closest friends were killed. I watched their deaths and watched as I was powerless to save them. I saw men and women go home to their loved ones in body bags, they never saw their loved ones again. I have felt the pain of loosing people for 27 years, Boromir...!"

Upon hearing this, Boromir and the others felt nothing but empathy for him...and felt ashamed. How many people had he lost? He had held the pain of those losses for nearly all his life. "Gandalf sacrificed his life...so that we could finish our mission. So that we could save this world, and save everyone else who we may yet still loose, who would suffer painful deaths at the hands of terrible people. It is our job to make sure that Frodo destroys the ring, and Sauron with it. If we fail to protect Frodo, and we fail to complete our mission, Gandalf's death will have been for nothing. We keep moving. We finish what we've started" John then turns away from Boromir, and looks out into the tumultuous clouds that hung in the sky, clearing his mind, wondering if they would bring rain, wondering if they would clear instead.

Aragorn, impressed with how Chief had defended himself, took control of the situation. "Come, Boromir, Legolas...Gimli, calm yourself, help them up!" He runs over to the hobbits "On your feet Sam, you have to be strong" The others were helping each other. But, hang on, where was... "Frodo?" His voice was lost as it whispered and echoed across the empty mountain. Then he saw him "Frodo!" He yelled out. Frodo stands grieving, staring out at the forests and dales below. He turns, he is weeping silently, he blames himself. As he turns towards Aragorn, a single tear trickles down his face. It was Frodo who loved Gandalf most of all. And now, because of him, Frodo knew that the kindly old wizard was gone...


	17. Fears and Fortunes

It was mid evening now. It had been a hard slog down from the mountain, many of the fellowship were exhausted. The events of Moria, the battle and the loss of Gandalf still weighing heavy on their minds. Even Chief was feeling the strain a little. A forced march was a forced march, and was difficult even for a Spartan. Aragorn was just ahead leading them on. The hobbits knew that they had to keep moving, but were completely flushed out. Realistically, Chief thought that they would only make another couple of killometers or so. They were in need of food, and desperately in need of rest. "Cortana, bring the maps up. What can you tell me about Lothlorien?" Cortana pulled up the digital map, completely covering the left side of his HUD. Chief turned his head to compensate, to see where he was going.

"Its one of the elven strongholds Chief, there's not many of them left in Middle earth. The elves are not all one people, there are many different independent groups, clans if you will. All of which have their own individualistic culture, different dialects, different ways of living etc. The elves that reside in the forest of Lothlorien are distinct from those of the ones we met at Rivendell. Wood elves, more secretive, less friendly towards strangers. We'll have to be on our best behaviour when we get there. Most likely they will se us as trespassers, or worse, as threats. Be on your guard Chief!" It was the logical cause of action.

One of the hobbits stumbled behind him, almost twisting his ankle. It was Pippin. The little guys were starting to struggle, and they weren't the only ones. Aragorn and Boromir looked winded, Boromir puffing hard with every step. Gimli was completely red faced, and was doing little better than the hobbits because of his heavy armour. Only Legolas seemed unaffected. It appeared that the elves really could give Spartan endurance a run for its money!

Chief sped up to a jog, catching up to Aragorn "Aragorn, how much further? The hobbits can't keep going on like this" Aragorn seemed to be in fairly good spirits, his morale was excellent considering all that they had been through. Even enough to start joking with Chief "What's the matter John, are you getting tired?" Then he started to chuckle. Chief didn't take the bait, and kept quiet. It was curious, Aragorn was always deadly serious when on the move. The only time he was ever playful was when...he was safe! Chief didn't have to wait long to find out that he knew Aragorn better than he thought. Not one minute later, the two allies crossed over to the peak of the hill they were climbing.

There was a fresh water spring at the top. Icy blue and crystal clear, pure and gurgling across the dale. The spring, amongst others, formed a small tributary that fed the Celebrent river. It was then that they saw the end of their journey. Their destination. First a clear blue sky, the sun setting just of to the west, just behind them, casting long and spindly shadows. Than the lush, green woodland itself came into their view. "Our journey is nearly over, my friends!" Aragorn called back. The fellowship couldn't have been more relived!

They still had to get to the treeline before nightfall however, and nightfall was not far from now, an hour, maybe less? They jogged down the gentle incline of the hillside, gravity graciously taking the strain away from their fatigued muscles. In the dale below was long waving grasslands. Sometimes the hobbits would disappear under the high standing reeds and broad ferns. Finally, they reached the lichen covered treeline, they were safe...or at least hoped that they were safe. How would the elves react to their arrival? Would they help or would they not? Even Legolas was tense, he knew how the elves of the woodland realms could be.

Some elves outright hated outsiders. Not all elves were enlightened as many of their race strove to be. The others saw them as proud, arrogant even, free from sin. Yet for all their races pride, many of their race held dark secrets, hidden away from the rest of the world. The fellowship passed through the branches of the very first trees.

Strange, it was so still inside the treeline. The forest had an unnatural closeness to. "Huh, that's weird!" Cortana suddenly piped up "There's some kind of interference here. Something in the forest is messing up the armour's sensors, even your motion tracker is playing up. I'm all but blind Chief, you're on your own!" It certainly was very strange, not since his missions on the forerunner installations had anything like this happened. John is wary, and falls to the rear of the group.

The rest of the fellowship were on their guard, they didn't need advanced sensors to be freaked out by this place, requiring nothing more than gut instinct. "Stay close young hobbit!" A very agitated Gimli snapped, pulling Frodo closer to him. "There are rumours that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An elf-witch of terrible power" Both companions looked around pensively "All who look upon her, fall under her spell..." "Frodo!" A voice soothed into his ear. For a split second, he thought the ring was speaking to him again, but quickly realised that this was someone different. "...and are never seen again" Gimli finished.

The voice came at him again, stronger this time, causing the young hobbit to stop dead in fright "Your coming to us echoes with the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, ring bearer" He looks quickly around the woodland, but sees no one "Are you alright Mr Frodo?" A concerned Sam asks him. Frodo doesn't answer, he shakes his head, and follows after the others.

Then Chief starts to hear the voice "You are something else entirely..." Chief takes a combat stance, surprised by the voice, he too thought it was the ring trying to tempt him again. Could the ring speak with many voices? "...Spartan, bane of worlds...you come to our world in its darkest hour..." Then Chief hears something. A tree moves, a leaf falls, the pitch and intensity of the light changes ever so slightly. Even without his sensors, he knows exactly what is about to happen. When no one is looking, Chief draws his knife and slips silently away. Not even Legolas notices his passing.

Meanwhile, Gimli is completely lost to his thoughts, all but oblivious of his surroundings. "Well...here is one dwarf she will not ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox-" However, the elven archer was already there. He drew his bow, and waited. Gimli almost walked straight into the broad shaped arrowhead, turning just in time to stop himself. He re-coiled in shock, a soft "Oh!" escaping from his lips. Other bows appear inside the glade, some elf guardians with elven cloaks, others just perfectly positioned for the trap to function.

They were surrounded, and even Legolas had been taken off guard. He had barely had time to draw an arrow in preparation of the standoff. Than he noticed it, Chief had disappeared. A small smile spread across the elf's face. If the Spartan was stealthy enough to slip away without anyone noticing, without even the Lothlorien sentinels noticing him pass away...

Then the leader of the troop of guardians appeared amongst them, his rank distinguished by a blood red cloak "The dwarf breathes so loudly that we could have shot him in the dark!" Haldir says coyly. Gimli grunts in indignation, God hate the pride and arrogance of the elves! Yet Haldir is slightly concerned "I am curious however, my comrades inform me that there are nine walkers that trespass in our forest. Tell me, where is the ninth member of your fellowship?" Everyone was suddenly aware that Chief John was missing. Most shocked was Aragorn. How had he melted away so easily, with such silence?

Then Haldir heard the crack of a large branch and smiled. But was shocked by what happened next. The Lothlorien captain had assumed that the other outsider was somewhere nine strides from here, and had simply broken his stealth. Little did he know, Chief had just vaulted high into the air. He was more than surprised when the seven foot Spartan landed right behind him, quickly holding a sturdy knife to his neck. Every arrow in the wood turned around, and was now pointing straight towards him and his captor. Haldir turned slowly and looked at his captor, completely entranced by the giant man with the eyeless, golden visor. When he stared at Chief, and their eyes met. "Not the most friendly way to greet your allies" John said coolly. Haldir turned back round to Gimli, his eyes quite wide. "Oh" He said, in a nasal and mocking tone.

Aragorn was having none of it, the situation had just escalated massively "Chief, please. Release him. They are no enemies of ours!" Chief reluctantly did as he was told, the seasoned warrior obviously knew more about these elves than they did. Haldir relaxed, and walked towards Aragorn. The heir of Isildur was known to the elves of Lothlorien. Yet he was still fascinated by the warrior who had just gotten the drop on him.

"Our lady knows of you, Spartan. The lords of the elves are in constant communion during these dark times. It is true that we must keep our allies close during this fragile point in our history" Chief knew how to reply "Then you know as well as I do...we do not need a fight. Ask your men to lower their weapons. We are here only to seek sanctuary" Haldir turns back to John, impressed by his wisdom "Your Spartan holds his words well, Aragorn son of Arathorn. He is correct, there is no need for hostilities. Come, she is waiting..."

Time passes, the fellowship is lead away from the boarders of the elven world. Night is deepening amongst the trees of Lothlorien. A Cold but gentle breeze ruffles the turquoise and indigo leaves of the incredibly tall trees. Chief figured that the forest had to have been growing here for hundreds of thousands of years. The forest as old as humanity itself, possibly older. Did that mean that humanity had been brought here somehow? Why? He kept thinking about the forerunners, something was off about this planet, something about it seemed artificial. Magic, immortal beings, such things did not occur naturally. Some kind of artificial force had to at work here on this planet.

The staircase went on and on. It was like a parallel version of the stairway inside Moria. Circular, not a straight line in sight. The elves only ever worked with nature, never against it, unlike the heavy, cuboid architecture of the dwarfs. Their architecture was strong and stoic. The elven world was light and airy, not deep and dark as with the grand but oppressive dwarven halls. They were ascending the stairs, not climbing down them. They were safe from danger, not in peril. Then his thoughts went to Gandalf again, how he had failed to save him. No! He couldn't think about this, he needed to supress his emotion, his doubts, his demons. _"Through me, you could have saved him...John" _the voice of the ring was like oil and honey. It was launching its first true temptation, it had chosen its moment to strike.

_"Through me, you can save them all" _It was like hypnotism, Chief had to resist it. He would never be corrupted, never fall for its lies! But the danger was that if he let his guard down, even once...if the ring found the right temptation, Chief would start to fall...No! Resist it Spartan! You are better than this! _"Yet you can be better still..." _

He couldn't help but moan a little, quiet and in discomfort. It was as if a wedge was being driven into his mind, driving him mad. He envied Frodo, how easily he seemed to resit the ring's power. Perhaps the hearts of men really were corrupt. Weak, slaves to their desires _"Resist? Why resist if you know you will fail..." _With every whisper, with every taunt and every temptation, Chief could feel his mind weakening, falling just a little bit further. Supressing his feelings wasn't working. He had to find another way to combat his desires.

Chief knew he was in trouble. His conditioning, which he had learned to utilize under every situation for all his life, was failing him. Decades of experience was no longer serving him, it was working against 's had always thought that their minds were like stone. Rock hard psychologies, immutable, indestructible. But the tempting of the ring was like running water. As his mind stood numb and unmoving, it flowed all around him, flowing around his defences. It was probing for weaknesses, any gap, any crevice.

Running water brought down mountains and turned rock to formless sand. He could feel his mind, his human, imperfect mind, full of 'cracks' and 'crevices' being 'worn' away by the power of the ring. The Spartan almost began to panic a little, he was loosing control over his thoughts, thoughts he had kept a lid on for all his life. Decades of conditioning by ONI was being washed away. He felt like a kid again, a weeping child standing amongst storm clouds, his tears being lost in the rain. He was being overwhelmed...

But little did John know, the ring was working on overdrive. The will of Sauron had broken men with minds like his before. Soldiers, minds like stone, unmoving and seemingly unbreakable. It was why the rings of power had such difficulty overthrowing the minds of dwarfs for instance, who's minds were the strongest and most immovable as them all.

Humans however... to possess such hardness was an unnatural, vulnerable state. All the ring had to do, all it ever had to do, was allow that human to revert to their old selves. The human mind was, and always would be, like sand. Sand, as compressed as it can go, would always erode away, and revert back to sand once more...sand was easily moulded, easily changed. Then the heart of men could be corrupted once more. Yet the ring was challenged, it had never encountered a soul like John's before. His life essence was one of great hardness, utterly defiant, impossibly unbendable. Not since the time of Numenor had it known such courage and defiance.

But the ring was patient, like water. Water was eternal, and water could wait. The ring of power had broken stronger men than John, all it needed was time. But would the Spartan escape its grasping hands before its work was finished?

Chief had completely lost control of his passions and emotions. He knew that the ring was winning...Then to his relief, just before he started clawing at his head, distraction came his way. The ring snarled in defeat, its hold over the Spartan had been broken, for now. Water always waits.

Chief looked around, suddenly realising that he was in some kind of hall. It was ethereal, bathed in white, angelic light. "I'd imagine this is what Christians believe heaven looks like Chief!" Cortana remarked. Chief couldn't help but disagree, he imagined this is what Christians believed that Purgatory looked like.

Chief had studied the religions of the world. To this day, the human race still clung onto the faiths of old. Chief had studied them, every Spartan had, in order to prepare them for the Covenant, so that they would know the difference between good and bad religion, but most importantly so that they would understand how religion could be used like a sword, with which to beat down its enemies.

An elven herald spoke with great pride and dignity. "Behold! The lights of our world. Lord Celeborn, and our noble queen, lady Galadriel, keeper of the eternal light, the light of our world" Than, the fellowship was bathed in more light. Almost blinding, Chief felt it pour into him as he gazed in wonder, and was amazed when the polarisation effect of his visor had absolutely no effect. Then the lights retreated and dimmed, and the fellowship stood open mouthed as they gazed in wonder at the lord and lady of Lothlorien, they were the source of the light. And then Celeborn spoke, his voice soft, but was not one of weakness.

"Nine there are, yet ten, ten set out from the gates of Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him!" Celeborn did not possess the gift of foresight, at least not strong enough to see the events of before. Yet Galadriel was the more powerful, and as she looked into the eyes of the fellowship, she knew. "He has fallen into shadow" She said with a gasp, her heart falling a little, for she had always respected and admired Gandalf.

"The quest, stands upon a knife edge now. If you stay but a little, it will fail...and lead to the ruin, of all..." Her voice trailed away as her focus shifted to that of Boromir. Boromir stares into her eyes. It has been his fear all along, What happens when Sauron takes back what is his? _"Do not loose heart, son of Gondor. The night may yet still pass, for even now, there still is hope..." _But for all her attempts, Boromir honestly does not believe it. He looks away, breaking down, weeping, ashamed, Galadriel must know that he desires the ring. She senses another mind, someone far more stout of heart and spirit "Yet hope remains..." She gases into the eyes of Samwise Gamgee, and he looked back unflinchingly "...hope remains whilst the company is strong..." Who knows what she said to the young hobbits. "Please do not let your hearts be troubled...go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow, and much toil..."

And then that train of thought brings her to John. John, who has almost gotten used to hearing voices in his head _"Weary with sorrow, rent and weakened by the losses of those you have lost. What sights have you seen with your eyes? What madness? What darkness have you endured? For someone so young, both in age and mind, what have you seen..." _And then Galadriel saw it, saw all that Chief had witnessed. The human empire, a domain that stood over a thousand worlds...destroyed! The war, the chaos...a single enemy...the Covenant! Such horror, such pain. Galadriel does not understand all of the images she see's _"You have seen more than any on this world. More possibly than even the Miar have witnessed. How much more can you endure? You fear failure, it permeates your entire being...will you fail again?" _

Chief is staring into bloody hell, looking down the barrel of the gun, staring into Armageddon. The world stands upon the brink. And he whispers quietly "_NO!"_ Galadriel smiles, knowing that the Spartan will not yield to the power of evil. She knows that whilst he is alive, there is hope for the free peoples of middle earth.

_"...Go now and rest John. You are safe here..."_


	18. Mirrors and Waters

Chief was glad that he was back on solid ground. The forest floor was warm and peaceful, tranquil, safe. The hobbits are settling down for the night, stringing up their hammocks, laying down their cosy bedding. In the trees above them they can hear the elves, and they are starting to sing. Legolas hears it, as do the others, they all look into the sky. They are singing in rounds, as one voice finishes, another takes over. They play instruments too, Chief had seen similar ones on earth, and were reminiscent of those from the Indian and mandarin traditions. "It is a Lament to Gandalf" Legolas enlightens. Their song is calm but mournful, chilling even.

Spartans had little time for music in their lives, but they were of course sensitive to it. John listened in wonder, the song was soft and enchanting, nothing like he had ever heard before. Sergeant Johnson had played music, always before the mission. One of Chief's closest friends, especially after the deaths of his Spartan teammates. As they had flown in their pelicans, whilst in transit to the drop zone, Johnson had often Played Flip Music, similar to the heavy metal of the past. Chief had never liked it, it was too loud, it made him think about the sounds of war too much. John had always tried to clear his mind before battle. Cool and peaceful, his mind like the eye of the storm, the turmoil of war raging all around him. Yet this music the elves made, music similar to what he had heard at Rivendell, was something else entirely. He couldn't really describe what he was feeling.

Aragorn meanwhile is sharpening his sword, Chief had already done his, the claymore pounded dull by the punishment he had subjected it to. Gimli lay beside them, sleeping, snoring. A lily-shaped burned calmly next to him. Legolas has been with the elves, telling them all what had occurred over the course of the quest so far. It was indistinguishable from a missions debriefing. "What did they say about him Legolas?" Merry asked with respect. "I do not have the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near"

His statement took both Merry and Chief by surprise. The elves always seemed to dignified, emotionless even at times. If Legolas was as torn up as he was claiming, he was doing an amazing job at surpassing his feelings. Chief suspected that he was just protecting the Hobbits, he didn't really want to know what had been said. A lot can be said about someone after they had died, you didn't always want to hear it.

Sam looked up into the trees, and sighed a little. "I wonder what they are saying? I bet its nothing about his fireworks. They should definitely have a verse about them!" And he went back to the task of preparing his blankets. Pippin was thinking about his fireworks now. He was sad, he knew he mightn't ever see fireworks again now. "The best things I ever saw. The rockets and spinners, all sorts of colours, shapes and magic. Flames that turned into flowers, falling leaves, butterflies that would chase after you or fly away as the children chased them!" Merry joined in "They burst into flame. Stars of green, red, blue, gold and even silver. Your right Pip, they would explode, like thunder, shine with light, then the sparks would fall down, they would never burn you...it was like the sky was raining light" Sam smiled warmly "Yeah, that almost does them justice!"

Chief turns over, he almost feels at peace, but he is still troubled by his experiences...how Galadriel had seen into his mind, seen his thoughts. Yet whilst she had used her powers to help him, he imagined this was how the ring also saw him. How it could transfix and change him so easily. He reflected once again on his conversation with Cortana, he had confided in her, about the ring, about Galadriel, all of it.

"I'm worried Cortana" He had said to her. "The experience made me feel vulnerable. If I cannot stop the ring from getting to me, there's no telling what it could do to me. I've bee compromised Cortana, the UNSC would have rendered me unfit for duty if this had occurred in the past. If I cant stop the ring from manipulating me than I cannot help them anymore, a liability and a threat" Cortana had never seen this happen before. Chief, her Chief, who had fought the Covenant for nearly three decades, who had rescued her from High Charity from the flood all those years ago...and John was on the verge of giving up! " The ring is cunning Chief, it knows how powerful you are, knows what you're capable of...you could kill all of them, three times over, and they wouldn't even touch you. But Chie, your stronger than this, all you've been through, the ring is nothing compared to all that!"

Cortana wasn't doing the best job of consoling him so far. Chief just shook his head, how had it come to this? "If I cannot guarantee that I can control myself, that I can't stop the ring from corrupting me, I can no longer help them...but if I can't help them, than there is no guarantee that they will succeed" Chief had an impossible choice to make. If the ring corrupted him than the quest would fail. If he left them, there was no guarantee that they could succeed. He couldn't underestimate the resourcefulness of the group. But there is only so much that eight people can do. It was like a bad joke, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Than you have to learn how to fight the ring Chief, its your only solution, you cant leave them otherwise"

Chief then remembered something, something that had happened in the depths of Moria "Cortana, you told me once that the ring had tried to corrupt you, that it had tempted you, that you had endured it. How have you been holding it off all this time?" Cortana sighed, then shuddered, it had not been pleasant. "I am an AI Chief. I was able to separate any corruption from my CPU, the ring couldn't keep up, it was quite pathetic really. But there was that first moment, when I felt myself slipping away, it was awful, I know what you are going through...the problem is that the ring has stopped tempting me Chief. It had failed to corrupt me outright, but I also think that the ring knew that I'm not worth it. As a AI, my control over your suit is limited to auxiliary systems only. If the ring does manage to corrupted me, there will be near to nothing I can do to aid it!" This allowed Chief a little comfort, at least Cortana seemed to be safe now. UNSC tech one, magic zero!

But this didn't really help him directly. Chief couldn't de-frag his own brain, he couldn't run an antivirus on neurones. Than he thought about Frodo, how could the hobbit deal with it "Frodo seems to have the right ideas" he said matter of factly. "He certainly can, can't he! Its quite remarkable really. He's such a pleasant person. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. His innocence is has to be a barrier against the rings corruption, there's not a wicked bone in his body! There is very little in his character that can be used against him!"

She let this information sink in before continuing. "I know you Chief. You never give up, you never fail. You've got to fight it, you cant give up now. The fellowship need you Chief, you have to find a way" Chief wondered why Galadriel hadn't said anything. Surely she would have sensed if he were a threat? Perhaps she didn't! It suddenly struck Chief. Galadriel may have overlooked it, but how could she not have? Chief suddenly realised that she had absolute confidence that he would not fall to the power of the ring. All Chief had to do was make it happen "I will find a way, I promise!" That was enough for Cortana. She hadn't lost her faith in him, and when Chief made a promise, he kept it.

Chief shuffled backwards a little, allowing the tree behind to support his weight, and gazing at the stars in the cloudless sky. Would he ever travel to them again? With the stillness of the night, and the soothing music of the elves cooing in his ear, he relaxed, and finally fell asleep. Galadriel was right, he was safe here.

Two and a half hours later, Chief had woken up. He opened his eyes slowly, just as he always did, and took in his surroundings once more. Chief had been dreaming, he always enjoyed dreaming. Dreams were one of the only luxuries that Spartans possessed, and every Spartan appreciated them. It was the only time in his life where Chief could ever find true sanctuary, and he valued every minute of it. Sadly, this nights session had now ended, and with a sigh he got back to the mundane tasks of the day. The two men were sleeping soundly.

Legolas was nowhere to be seen, God knew where he was. Apparently elves never did sleep. He remembered the previous sharpshooters he had met, they were always restless characters, yet this was taking it to a whole new level. Gimli was still snoring, and the hobbits were sound asleep in thei...wait! Chief turned, just in time to see the thick scalp of Frodo disappearing behind the hillside. Where was he off to at this time?


	19. Humans and Feelings

Cortana was in a state of suspended animation, as close as she got to sleeping. In a way it was sleeping, Cortana was unique amongst AI's, she contained living neural tissue within her CPU, and every so often would need to power down in order to allow this tissue to restore itself. He wondered if she dreamt as well? He had never asked her, there was a lot he didn't know about Cortana. It was ironic, as close as they were, all they had been through together, he knew almost nothing about her. Perhaps he should ask?

Meanwhile though, he would let her rest. He would follow Frodo, see what the curious hobbit was up to. Chief would make sure he wouldn't get into any trouble, he remembered Pippin from Moria, on Weather top when he had first met them. Hobbits seemed to have a way of getting themselves into trouble. As John stands, and starts to follow him, as he moves over the verge, he sees another walking down the elven pathway. To his surprise, it is Lady Galadriel. Frodo is following her.

Frodo suddenly stops, and was hiding behind a tree. Chief decided to make a move. He strode over, quietly. He always made a big impression whenever he made his presence known. He was just behind Frodo now, the young hobbit was still transfixed by the graceful elf, he hadn't noticed Chief. Chief made sure that his final step was a loud one. Frodo jumped, and span round, finally seeing the massive warrior towering over him.

"Chief!" He gasped in shock "I was...I was only curious...couldn't sleep so I-" "Its ok Frodo, I'm not your captain. You are not in trouble. All the same, do you think you should be following her like this? She may want privacy for all I know" Frodo thought about it for a moment "I can't explain it...but I feel as if I should be following her" Chief knew that strange forces were at work in this world, yet he wasn't willing to play along with them "Your tired Frodo, a lot has happened over the past few weeks, you need to rest, you need sleep" But Frodo knew what his gut was telling him, Gandalf had told him to always trust his feelings "No Chief, I know that there is more to it. I feel as if I have to be here, I know it!" Chief's patience wasn't infinite, he was astonished by how adamant the hobbit was, so much so that it made him hesitate. "No Frodo, you should be resting. You have no reason to be here. You should get back to the camp, I'm telling you, you're tired, your not thinking straight" But Frodo would not listen, "John, really, I just feel as if I should be here. I'm not going back just yet"

Chief was stunned, he'd never experienced anything like it. For everything Chief had seen and knew, he'd never experienced things as trivial as this. He had never seen anyone refuse such a simple order, ever! "Frodo, for the last time you-" "Ehem!" Galadriel said, clearing her throat. The two arguers stopped dead. Chief knew what had happened, so had Frodo. The two had been standing their arguing, and now Galadriel had noticed! Chief couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. They both turned around, looking over to where the sound had come from. She was standing their at the bottom of the verge, by some kind of vine covered pedestal, baring a weak smile. For all her age and wisdom, there was still great youth to her. She found this situation most amusing, the little hobbit pleading his case, the colossal warrior, like a parent, kindly demanding that he should go to sleep.

Galadriel saw the joy of parenthood in that moment. She had born a daughter, and knew the joy of parenthood. It was hard for an elf, as an immortal being the relationship that one possessed with their family felt somewhat lessened, and whilst she had been a loving parent, most elves experienced only a distant relationship with their loved ones, emotion stirred in her heart, things she had not felt and thought about for hundreds of years. Galadriel knew that if she and other families were ever to live her life in peace and safety that there was great evil in the world that had to be ended. Evil that could spread to all of middle earth, evil that could spread beyond to the grey havens, consuming the entire elven world. That evil needed to be vanquished. She saw in these two the chance to finally achieve all of this.

"Do not be wary. Please, come forward. There is much to discuss" Chief and Frodo looked at each other. Frodo couldn't help but shoot him a look as if saying _"I told you so!" _and he started walking towards Galadriel. Chief stood there glaring at the hobbit, stunned. The nerve! "Oh no he didn't! He did not just shoot you that look!" Cortana suddenly shouted. Had Chief been a lesser man, he would have jumped. He just took the shock and replied in kind. "How long have you been up?" He asked her, kind of sarcastically "Ever since you spoke to Frodo. Now come on, don't keep the lady waiting! See what she has to say"

Chief cleared his throat, and started walking down the path once again. Frodo was at the pedestal, watching Galadriel intently. The lady of Lothlorien was standing a short way away. She was standing by a pure water spring. Water was bubbling up from above her, and the pure blue water trickled down the rocky surface from where it rose up from, forming a little waterfall. The waters accumulated into a small pool at the bottom, and overfload, forming a slow moving, crystal clear stream. She was holding a glass vase. It was etched with fine elven runes and was adorned with quarts crystals and onyx stones.

Galadriel starts filling the vase at the spring. Once full of the pure water, she strides towards the pedestal. Laid on the pedestal is a beautiful artefact. A shallow bowl, made from highest quality silver. It is embroidered and acid etched, and its iridescent surface ripples and twinkles with colour in the pale lights of the woodland glade. "Would you look into the mirror?" She asks coolly. Chief is sceptical, he does not see why he should. But Frodo knows. He listened so well to his uncle Bilbo's stories, memorising every verse, word for word. He knows about the mystical seeing stones and talismans of the ancient world. "What will I see?" He asks, and Galadriel smiles

"Even the wisest cannot tell...for the mirror, shows many things..." She starts pouring the water into the bowel "...things that were. Things that are. And some things...which have not yet come to pass" Chief realised what it was, but is still stunned "So its a Palantir, but it can show what, the future?" He does not believe it. Galadriel replies "It depends upon your point of view. It shows reflections Spartan. Many twisting roads and fates, many possible ends may be seen" Chief is a little more open to the concept, that sounds more plausible. An AI could calculate one thousand possible eventualities in about a minute. It wasn't far fetched to think that a Palantir could do the same. "Go on John. I know that curiosity killed the hobbit...but its worth a look!"

Chief and Frodo step forwards, and looking down, gaze into the swirling twisting waters of Galadriel's mirror. Frodo looked back up, he wasn't sure about this...Chief meanwhile has his eyes fixed on the water, he is still sceptical. But then again, why would she be wasting his time with this if nothing was going to happen? Frodo looks back, and then something starts to happen. The water stops showing his and Chief's reflection, and turns to his friend, Sam. It then moves on to the rest of the fellowship, the people he cares about.

Chief is gazing into the faces of two people. A woman is holding a new born baby, it his her new born baby, and she loves it dearly. She is at home, she is making use of the domestic health services that all modern housing provided by the UNSC possess, she prefers the comfort of her own home to some communal hospital. She looks adoringly at her new child. The child coos with delight. He is happy, toothless, fluffy brown hair and a shock of little freckles over his podgy cheeks. The father looks on, a broad smile, he is tall, muscular, but he is red faced, as if holding back tears, it has been such an emotional day. Chief gasps, he is shocked. He realises that he recognises these people. Long surpassed memories, from eons ago. It is his parents! And the baby in his mothers arms...its him!

Frodo gazes at the Shire, his childhood, his home. The Brandywine bridge, the Green Dragon, his house under the hill. It is idyllic, he loves it dearly. Its why he is out here, he wants to save it. The mood changes, and Frodo looks on in horror as fires burn, buildings fall, and orcs run amok amidst screaming terrified hobbits. Frodo recognises most of the faces. Plants uprooted, blood everywhere, orcs eyes wide with joy and glee.

A small boy is hiding. His name is John, in ten years he will be given the service tag, 117. John is terrified, the most scared he has ever been in his life. ONI is coming for him, it wont be long now until they find him and drag him away forever. Chief has thought many times about that day. He often wondered if he should be angry with the UNSC for what they had done to him and the others. But he couldn't be, the Spartans had helped humanity survive during the war. John had saved humanity, he himself had stopped the halo array from firing at the battle of the arc, at Installation 00. The end had outweighed the means. Yet that family image...his duty had always been to protect humanity. Had he been a Spartan twenty years before, had he seen ONI servicemen trying to kidnap a defenceless child, he would have butchered them in the street. How could he not feel anger for what ONI had done to those families? What ONI had done to his family!

Cortana can't help but well with emotion. The miracle Gandalf, oh the poor old wizard, had weaved had not saved her from rampancy, not directly anyway. What he had done was stabilize her mind, and make her truly self aware. Her mind was identical to that of any humans, and her heart welled with sadness and pity for her Spartan

Frodo is seeing another horrifying scene. The Hobbiton is a blackened and ruined skeleton of its former beauty. All the old buildings have been burned to the ground, and there is not a patch of green in sight. The orcs have built new buildings. The forced labour camp has been finished. The surviving hobbits are all in shackles, they are lead by the slave and taskmasters of Sauron, terrible orcs that lash out at his friends with terrible looking whips. With shock, he sees Sam, he winces in pain as the barbs of the weapon tear his skin. Is this how horrific the future will be should he fail? He didn't know the world was capable of such horrors. The visions altered his perception of the world slightly, altering the shape of his soul forever. Suddenly, the ring of power had just a little bit more to work with in its corruption of the ring bearer.

_"...Cortana, absolutely not! We go together! It was my duty to look after you!" _Chief gazing at himself "What the?" His AI spectator gasps, what is this? _"We were supposed to look after each other Chief...and we did!" _The Cortana inside the mirror chokes up a little. The two spectators both realise that this is some kind of future event _"I'm not coming with you this time" She says sadly "No! No absolutely not! We go together!" A very agitated Chief barks at her. "Oh John..." _It is then that Cortana realises she is standing right in front of him, human sized, her avatar is made out of hardlight, a forerunner energy. To her amazement, she than touches John, placing her hand gently against his armour. _"Ahh...you have no idea how long I have waited to do that!" _Cortana was stunned, oh how she did!

It is then where the three spectators images synchronise. Just as the ring flops out from around Frodo's neck, the eye of Sauron appears inside of the mirror, and the waters begin to scream. Chief realises what is happening. The Palantir's can be used like a visual communication system (Like Skype). Sauron was really there, the great eye! He was pulling the ring towards him, Chief went to grab the ring, to pull it away. Then he remembered how easily it could tempt him. He would not touch it. Luckily, Frodo came to his senses, and leaping back, dragged it away from the boiling waters. The visions had ended, Chief went to help the young hobbit up. Both were a little spooked, what exactly had they all just seen?

Galadriel finally spoke "I know what you have seen. You will be surprised to hear that the three of you have all witnessed different visions" The tree companions were stunned, she was about to give the game away. They were too late to stop her. Chief and Cortana's greatest fear was whether or not Frodo would be able to deal with this or not. "Three of us, what do you mean?" A very confused hobbit asked. Chief sighed "Galadriel, we should not speak of this!" Galadriel was stern and confident in her decision. "There are stranger things than you and Cortana in this world John" Frodo was really confused "Cortana? Who is Cortana?" Chief sighed, they had passed the point of no return "Frodo, you are no fool. I will not lie to you. I have lied to you, and the others. I lied to protect you from truths that are too dangerous to tell people of this world. And I am sorry for deceiving you all this time, I was only trying to protect you and the others"

Frodo was very confused, it was almost too much for him, the visions of the mirror, Lothlorien, everything before...John was lying? About what? "I don't understand Chief" John continued, but he still had to think of ways in which he could put things in perspective for the hobbit to understand. "I told you that I am here alone. But I am not. There is another who walks with me. But it is difficult to explain. Her name is Cortana. She is my closest friend, she has aided me and guided me throughout all my travels. My people found a way to replicate the workings of the human minds" Chief takes something from out the back of his head.

A small piece of metal, with a glass circle in the middle. Chief then presses a button at the bottom of the chip. And Frodo is amazed when Cortana's avatar appears...replicate a human mind, a spirit? She is human, blue, quite curvatious, Frodo cant help but notice. He is only human...he is only hobbit! "Her name is Cortana" The avatar begins to wave. Frodo doesn't know what to think. "She is the closest friend I have ever had. She is my guide, we watch out for each other. She gives me advice, leads me on my way, she has never let me down" Galadriel stares in wonder at the AI's CPU. So remarkable "Can she speak Spartan?" "Yes, she can. Very well in fact!" A very nervous AI replies. Both Galadriel and Frodo are equally entranced. "I am able of assimilating massive amounts of information. I can translate any language, I have learned all of them on this planet. Lord Elrond does possess such an excellent library. I look out for John whenever I can"

Galadriel has been looking into her mind. How remarkable, she is indeed completely human in that regard. "But often you wish you could do more? I saw the visions of the mirror Cortana" Chief looks at her, it never occurred to him that she might have human desires as well as human thoughts. "From time to time, yet I know that such things are impossible" She couldn't help but let sadness creep into her voice. Frodo quick witted and very perceptive. This was way beyond his comprehension, but he could understand something as human as this immediately. He could imagine it, never feeling, never touching, never smelling or tasting. It sounded like a living hell "How could your people create something so wrong Chief?" He asks, appalled by the very concept. "Because it is a new concept Frodo" Galadriel responds. Everyone turns, what does she know of this?

"Artificial intelligences are so new, that Chief's people have not yet come to terms with the ethical implications of creating an artificial mind are. Cortana is also unique, no other AI's actually are lives in themselves, Cortana is very, very special in this regard" Cortana had never really considered the problem, it was so new after all. "I sense something about you Cortana. You have been touched by the light of the Valar. Can you explain this?" Cortana had one idea. "Gandalf changed me. AI's are short lived, they last for about seven years, then they deteriorate. Gandalf somehow extended my lifespan, stopped the deterioration process. I am already eight years old" Galadriel smiled, emotions welled inside her. "Gandalf was always charitable. Let me hold you. There may be other gifts that he has bestowed on you!" She turned to Chief, "I trust her. Would you let her?" Chief looked into the elf's eyes "Alright" and he passed her over.

Frodo and Chief looked in wonder as the two communed with each other. Galadriel closed her eyes, and allowed her powers to flood though her. She sensed the power flowing within Cortana. Galadriel's power connected with the energy that resided inside Cortana. She now knew everything that Gandalf had done. Galadriel opened her eyes, and whilst handing her back to Chief, was almost tearful "You will be amazed Cortana. Step off of your projector" Both Chief and Cortana looked at her as if she was mad. "Galadriel. Its impossible, I can't do that!" Galadriel smiled warmly "Can you also live eight years and show no signs of rampancy? Walk off of your projector" Cortana knew how to walk, she could make Chief's armour walk if she was connected to its bionics. Hell! She could make ten thousand suits walk! But she could not walk for real...or? "I'll give it a try!"

Cortana looked at the ground in front of her, and thought about it. An idea, and a sentence of wisdom came into her mind "All it takes is the will to jump" She whispered. Crouching down, she placed a hand at the end of her enclosure, her projector. Yelling out, she tried to jump away. What should of happened is that she quite embarrassingly jumped inside of the projector. What actually happened? She grew, grew to a full human height. She jumped forwards, and the CPU was torn from Chief's hands. As he let go, the CPU shone with light, and dissolved inside of Cortana's new form.

"No fucking way!" She exclaimed. She could not believe it, surviving rampancy for so long could have been luck, not down to anything external at all. But this was something else. This was not possible, Cortana rose upwards, she moved her hand up from the leaf ridden floor, and rose upwards, straightening out, coming to her full height of 5'5". She could barely describe all of this. She could see, not through some camera in her chip, but SEE. She could feel the ground beneath her feet. It FELT hard, there was differences between the softness of the grass the hardness of the stones. Smell? Non existent. Hearing? Achieved through her CPU. But her world had just been created. She could do all of these things, she could finally do them.

She started sobbing, just sobbing, and she ran over to Galadriel and hugged her. Galadriel was a little stunned at first, taken off guard. But then quickly embraced Cortana. They stood like this for about a minute, Galadriel consoling her, Cortana completely overwhelmed. Chief was too stunned even to react, Frodo was no different. Cortana finally drew away from Galadriel, and rubbing her eyes, which were perfectly simulating the sensation of crying. Even though no tears actually fell from her face. "OH!" She sniffed "Oh my, my, my. Thank you...I...thank you so much!" Galadriel simply smiled warmly. "Gandalf, not I Cortana. I only guided you" It was then when Cortana turned round, and she saw John standing there.

Cortana had never appreciated how tall he was before, how powerful he was and how much she liked that. The goldness of that visor, the greenness of his armour. The tightness of gel layer under suit. The thickness of his muscles. She walked forwards, slowly. Chief just stood there, too stunned to act. She drew right up to him. She remembered the vision that she had seen. It was no longer a vision, it was no longer a dream. It was real! She reached out with her hand, and with tentative fingers, she touched the breastplate of his armour. A soft sigh escaped from her lips. Galadriel smiled, remembering all those moments from her own past.

John couldn't believe what was happening. Was this real? He moved his hand upwards, up to his breast plate, and then their hands finally met. Cortana recoiled a little, and gave a sharp intake of breath, surprised by the sudden sensation. John took her hand in hers, and squeezed it gently, it even felt real! Galadriel had seen enough, it was time to leave "Come Frodo, let us leave this place. We can talk elsewhere" Frodo nodded, and followed her away. He was still a little bit overwhelmed by everything that had just happened here.

They went away, away from the Palantir, but a different way, not where the rest of the fellowship were resting. All that was left behind was John and Cortana, holding each others hands. They stood in silence, in awe of what had happened here. Stood next to the waterfall and the stream that slowly trickled around them.


	20. Near Misses

_"Do you know how the orcs, first came into being?" Saruman asked his newest officer. Lurtz growled, and shook his head. The wizard and the captain of Isengard stood inside the tower of Orthanc. "They were elves once. They were taken by the dark powers. They were tortured and mutilated!" Lurtz roared in appreciation "Ruined, a terrible form of life..." Saruman stopped pacing, and turned to stare into its eyes "...and now, perfected. My fighting Uruk Hai!" He moved right into the creatures wet and stinking face. This Uruk wasn't his deadliest servant, but it was his most reliable, so far "Whom do you serve?" He asked, with much venom "Saruman!" The brutal Uruk rasped in reply._

_Saruman smiled, and his eyes narrowed. He stepped away from the savage being. For all its awe and majesty, this one was no match for the Spartan. Perhaps the other was._

_It was then that Lurtz finally heard the breathing behind him. He turned around slowly, staring into the darkest corner of the room. There was small clouds of steam, the breath of a creature. The condensed air from its colossal lungs, as hot as a blacksmith's furnace. Saruman was ready to meet his deadliest servant. Gathering all the conviction he could, he stepped forward, holding his arm out. "WHOM DO YOU SERVE?" He commanded to the shadows. Lurtz was taken aback by what he saw. _

_It was huge, heavily set and muscular, yet also lean and incredibly tall. The monster dwarfed him, just as he dwarfed any orc or goblin. Dark skinned, barrel chested, wild eyed. Nostrils flaring, mucus, stained dark with jet black blood. Its chest was heaving, hyperventilating, as if it couldn't get enough air into its lungs to support its hyper accelerated metabolism. Lurtz made the mistake of staring into its bloodshot eyes. The creature stared back, and roared with the power of a small volcano. Two alpha males, hyped up, volatile and burning with testosterone, were about to square off. _

_Lurtz drew his knife, and roared back with all the strength he could muster. Without hesitation, the hyper violent creature charged at Lurtz. Accelerating faster than you could have thought possible, it grabbed the uruk by his neck, and hefted him into the air as if he were a ragdoll. The colossal creature, bulging with muscles under its thick leathery skin, stained black with the blood of the orcs who's throats it had ripped out with its bare teeth. It slammed an astonished Lurtz into the hard marble floor, bent down and roared into his eyes, wide with shock. It then straightened up fast as lightening. Standing stock still, awaiting for his orders. _

_Saruman knew he had outdone himself. This dark experiment, it would only survive a few weeks...yet it would live like an explosion, fast and hard, the nine walkers would not withstand his creation "You will obey my captain without question. You will destroy the fellowship, gut the ones who protect the hobbits and destroy the Spartan. Above all, you will bring his head back on a spike. Do you understand?" The creature did not move. Saruman had not given the creature vocal chords. It was mute, it only possessed the capacity to understand orders. but he was confident that its superhuman mind had assimilated the information easily. _

_Lurtz was standing now. He grimaced, teeth bared, snarling, as close as Uruk Hai ever came to smiling. He did not hate this creature, he only admired it. Uruks always respected strength, and always admired brutality. He could tell that it was completely submissive, it would follow his orders without question. This creature would ensure that nothing in the world could stop him..._

Morale was high amongst the group again. The next morning they had been invited to the home of Celeborn. There they had been treated to a hearty breakfast. All manner of fruits, breads, cakes and nuts, a most generous spread. Yet there was no meat, much to the dismay of Gimli and Boromir. Provisions for their journey had been provided. One thing took Chief's eye in particular. Gimli had also noticed it too. It was a kind of food stuff. Some kind of thick, unrisen bread, baked brown on the outside, and milky white in the centre.

"Cram!" Gimli grumbled bitterly. Cram was a food made by many of the men who lived in trade and cooperation with the dwarfs, particularly around the region of Dale towards the kingdom of Erebor. He broke off a bit of the corner, and in apprehension of its dry and awful taste ate it hesitantly. Than his eyes lit up a little and his expression changed completely. He wolfed down the rest of the bread in two massive bites.

"Do not eat anymore my friend!" Legolas had said to him "For this is Lembas bread. It is a most precious commodity amongst the elves. It takes many months of toil and work to produce correctly. It is very rare, only a few know its recipe, it is a closely guarded secret. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man" he told Gimli, whilst Chief listened, handling his own in curiosity. "Wow! You have to admit, that's taking rationing to a whole new level if a couple of bites is all it takes. You could stay out in the field for months with a sack of this stuff!" Cortana remarked, her CPU sat safe inside of Chief's helmet. It was something else to try and keep along with his mithril shard, should he ever get back to humanity.

Cortana was right. Chief had already eaten some of it. It was quite bland, but it was light and pleasant to chew on. He had been surprised how sated his appetite had been after a couple of bites. So long as it replenished vital nutrients as well as energy, the food was all that his body would require. Cortana was right, it could revolutionise rationing.

Oh Cortana! How remarkable that night had been. They had stood under the moonlight for what seemed an age after the others had left. They had walked through the grounds of the forest, seeing all manner of plants, flowers and flying insects. It was had been magical, Chief would remember the night for the rest of his life. He could still scarcely believe what Gandalf had done for her. It would be his eternal legacy.

They had also been provided with cloaks. "We will provide you each with a hood and cloak, made according to your size. They will be made from the light, warm and silken thread that our artisans weave so fine" Celeborn had begun to explain as his men brought forward the gifts. Some were grey, like the hue of twilight when seen under the great tree of their woodland realm. Others were a fine green, like leaves under the shadow, or brown as fallow fields by night.

Chief's cloak wad silver, the colour of water when seen under the pale light of the twinkling stars. "They can conceal you from any foe, and hide you inside of any terrain. Observe!" Celeborn commanded one of his men to throw one of the cloaks over an armchair in the corner of the room. To everyone's amazement, when the cloak settled, the area became indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. "Take them, they are yours now. May they shield you from unfriendly eyes".

"Impressive" Chief had said. An understatement, it was remarkable that people of this time could create something like this. Chief saw its tactical application immediately "You wouldn't mind if you gave me a spare would you?" This had confused the elves a little, but then they accepted it. "The flax the cloaks are made from is strong. The material is not proof against a sword say, yet they are still rugged and hard wearing. Even so, your journey is long and arduous, it is possible that they will deteriorate by its end. Out of kindness, I shall provide you with some spares" Chief bowed in respect at Celeborn, it was how things were done here "Thank you" He wouldn't tell him that it was Chief's intension to use one for Cortana should she ever need to go out for a stroll sometime. It would allow her some degree of animosity and modesty.

Frodo had told the other hobbits about the night with Galadriel. What he had seen, what Galadriel had told him. Also about Chief and Cortana. Pippin had bugged John about it all morning. They had all had a short chat with her, and she had convinced them that she was friendly. That seemed to put them at ease, they didn't see her as a threat of any kind. They had all agreed to keep it a secret to the others for now. They astounded Chief by their open-mindedness, they weren't simple people by any distinction. Foolish, innocent. But they were not idiots!

All of a sudden, a loud burp erupts from behind him. Causing Chief to turn round. He see's a rather sheepish looking Pippin standing with his head bowed low "I didn't know that this lembas stuff was so filling!" He said, a little embarrassed. Chief smiled, there was no harm done "How many have you already eaten?" He asks "Four of them" Pippin says, belching again. Chief simply sighs and walks away. Everyone is prepared for the journey ahead of them. "Ok Chief, we're all set. With any luck, Pippin wont eat all of the food within the next week or so!" Chief was almost relieved "I'm still trying to figure out how he can eat so much"

The elves have provided them with boats. White wooden kayaks, built for two persons each "I don't think these boats can take my weight, even by myself" Chief had said sceptically "Do not underestimate our craftsmen Spartan!" Haldir replied. He had come down personally, to send them off at the bank of the river. "The one that has been provided for you is taller and has a slightly wider bow than the others. The boats are crafty, unstable when mishandled. But they are strong and do not sink easily. Often they have been taken far into the waters of the sea and beyond and have brought their occupants back safely, time and time again" He couldn't help but boast.

Chief climbed gingerly into the boat, gripping the sides of the dockyard, making sure he didn't put all his weight down until the last moment. The boat sank down low, very low, but to his relief stayed afloat. Haldir was a little taken aback by how low it sat in the water "How heavy is your armour Spartan?" He asked in awe "A Spartan when fully armoured can weigh upwards of a tonne" Haldir was astounded, it was as if ten men were sitting in the boat. "Yet adequate it is Chief. Farewell friends of Lothlorien, may fortune serve you well!" And with that, the fellowship set off on their quest once more.

A few hours later, a paddle splashes into the water. They had cleared the forest now, and were making good progress across the mighty Anduin river. Chief has gotten into the rhythm of moving along the river. Its simple enough a task. He is deep in conversation with Cortana "So, you have confirmation. The distress beacon on _The Dawn _is still operational" Cortana nods on his HUD "Yes Chief. We were too far away to detect it before. We had no way of knowing until now, but we finally have a strong contact signal with the ship. I blame the misty mountains!" It was excellent news. The ship, and most extraordinary of it all, some of her broadcasting systems, had survived.

Yet it was bitter sweet news. He remembered that first conversation, when he had first arrived on this planet. _"We lost contact with the ship as it passed over a large region of volcanic wasteland..." _He knew the name of that wasteland now, its name was Mordor. It meant that Chief had a means to make his presence known to the outside universe, a way home. But he also had no viable means of using it.

Yet it was still a positive. He had a new incentive to complete the mission. As soon as the ring was destroyed and as soon as Mordor was defeated, he could get to _The Dawn. _And with a little luck, Chief could get home. Their was only one problem, Chief didn't have any reasons for wanting to back...but what about humanity? He would think about it later. There was still a fight to be finished here.

It was then that Chief saw something that took his eye. Something was sticking out of the river, by the bank. He could make out two colours, grey, and yellow. He zoomed in with his HUD, he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. He started to row with renewed power and vigour. It couldn't be! "Chief, you realise how astronomically small the chances of finding something like this is...it must have fallen out of the ship as it sailed overhead. It impossible...but there it is!" Chief could scarcely believe it himself. "Its a weapons cashe!" He breathed in utter amazement. Just sticking out of the water, he could see five words sticking out of the water. _"Assau-" _No way in hell had he gotten this lucky! The cashe was a container for God damn Assault rifles! "Middle earth wont know what's hit it Chief!"

It was then that Aragorn called out "Chief, what are you doing? We don't make for the shore until we reach the end of the channel, where the great falls are found" But chief knew better "Trust me. This is worth stopping for!"

They moored the boats up, wedged into the sides of the river bank. As soon as Chief had dismounted his boat, he ran over into the river, and started dragging the supply box out of the river. Everyone watched him in curiosity. The box was obviously artificial made of metal and some kind of glass or crystal. It was plastic, but they had never seen plastic before! And what were those things inside? Chief tried the door, it was locked. The deadlock seal was still intact. Chief simply ripped the door clean off and took out one of the weapons. Chief couldn't believe that he was holding an assault rifle again. All of these weapons were silenced as well, remarkable.

The box had leaked, something must have ruptured during the impact, unsurprisingly. The fact that it was still intact at all was remarkable. Yet the equipment had fared far worse. Only two of the rifles were operable, everything else was completely trashed. He ripped off the secondary door to the container, the magazine section. Some of the boxes had exploded due to the shock of the landing. Yet there were still, he started counting, there were still fourteen boxes intact. 3000 rounds prepared in magazines, give or take a couple of duds due to the savage impact. Luckily the container had landed in the water, Chief imagined that nothing but scrap would have been left otherwise.

"What is all this John?" Aragorn asks curiously "Weapons" He replied simply. The Fellowship were entranced, how could they have been able to understand what they were seeing? Chief pulled out the other gun, they were both soaking wet. Laying them on the ground he pulled out the magazines and disengaged the safety, then he released the barrels fixing mechanism and manually primed the firing pin. Every assault rifle had ultra slippery, Nano engineered internal barrels that increased muzzle velocity. But it also had another function. Chief pulled the trigger of the three rifles, and every time all of the water came out as the barrel shot forward and all of the water came flooding out. It was a trick every soldier knew.

Everyone watched him curiously as he reassembled the weapons. Now finished, Chief reloaded the nearest rifle. And took a firing stance at the nearest tree. "You might want to watch this. Firing on full auto, he emptied half of the weapons magazine. The fellowship jumped a little the weapons spat fire and hissed sinisterly. The rounds tore into the side of the silver birch, and the fellowship watched in amazement as the tree came crashing down.

"How is this possible?" Legolas and Boromir said in unison. The others were too stunned to speak "These weapons are called assault rifles. These are the weapons I used in the war against the Covenant. The Spartans do not use swords and blades as our primary weapons, we use projectile weapons instead. We rely on our strength, our speed and our martial prowess and agility when it gets in close, using a knife for back up. A rifle is a heavy tool, it makes a good crushing weapon, like a mace. The knife is attachable onto the front of the rifle, it can be used like a spear, excellent for a quick thrust, hit the enemy before he hits you. The weight of the weapon behind the blade allows you to do a lot of damage" Chief then hooked his knife onto the end of the weapon for a moment to demonstrate. He then returns it to his belt.

The fighting style was completely alien to them, even though it used principles they understood all to well, apart from the guns. Aragorn could see the benefits of the system. Chief's combat repertoire was starting to alter the way Aragorn looked at war. He understood that if the principles were scaled up into army sizes...was there any force that could defeat such a thing? An army based around such a terrifying principle?

"It takes a trained eye to use such a weapon..." He looked towards Legolas "Think you're up to the challenge Legolas?" The elf couldn't have been more surprised. "It takes a keen eye you say?" Legolas remarked. Chief walked over and handed him the rifle. "Its held like a crossbow. Have you ever used one of those?" Legolas nodded, and took hold of the weapon, not before Chief had activated the safety. It was heavier than a bow, yet still fairly light. It felt good in his hands, it had been shaped well for practical use. But... "How does it function?" Legolas asked "Crossbows have hairpins" Chief began "Rifles have triggers. Examine the weapon, find the trigger" Legolas turned it round, there was a small semi ring of metal inside of an oval metal band. Chief knew what to explain next

"It fires these" Legolas watched as he pulled out the rifle's magazine and took out a couple of small metal cylinders "These are called rounds. They have three basic components. A detonator, a propellant and a projectile. The detonator ignites the propellant, which explodes with enough power to force the projectile, called a bullet, forwards with phenomenal speed. These rounds function the same way as my grenades, I overheard you discussing them after Moria. The power of the explosive chemical mix propels the bullet through the opening at the front, the only point the force from the explosion can escape from. As you saw earlier, its far more powerful than a bow or javelin"

Legolas was astounded, everyone was. Chief put the magazine back in. Legolas couldn't wait to fire, he aimed, took a solid stance and pulled the trigger back. Nothing happened "Its not firing" The confused elf exclaimed. Chief smiled for a moment "The weapon has a safety catch. A hammer inside of the weapon ignites the detonator in the round. The hammer is connected to the trigger, the safety catch breaks that connection. Without the hammer strike the weapon cannot work" He flips the safety catch, Legolas is responsible enough "Do not point it at any of us. You would not draw an arrow and point it at a friend" Chief walks over to a nearby tree, and hits it with his knife, forming a bulls eye "The bullet does not fall like an arrow does, adjusting your aim for the shot is far less severe. Compensate for wind only, It will fire for as long as you hold the trigger down"

Legolas takes a strong pose, just as he had seen Chief do. He had seen how it had thrown the heavy Spartan back, he knew it was going to kick like a horse. He took a deep breath, stabilised, and pulled the trigger for a moment, two shunts rock his shoulder back, not quite as bad as he was expecting, but still pretty powerful. Two empty metal jackets flew out from the side. He grazes the tree, five yards above the target "Careful, the rifle kicks back so its gonna try and walk up over your shoulder. Try to keep it under control, quick controlled bursts are easier to manage" Harder than he thought, but a thousand years of shooting experiences wasn't about to let him down. Legolas altered his grip, crouched into the rifle, tried again. Every shot but one hit the bulls eye. Than the weapon stopped firing again. He tried the trigger, nothing. Legolas thought for a moment. He remembered the jackets flying out. He knew why it had stopped "Its empty" He said out loud.

Chief was busy loading the second assault rifle "Show them how its done Chief!" Cortana says excitedly. "A quick draw is vital, the time it takes you to reload a magazine can mean the difference between life and death. Let me show you how effective the weapon can be" He had three clips and a crap load of trees. As Cortana might have said, this was going be fun! He crouched down charged forwards, firing off five quick two round bursts, sap and pulp flying all about the impact zones, shards like needles shattering and thrown into the air. The tree behind to the right, three more bursts, impacts shook his arm, muzzle flare reflected off his visor. Then he dropped down and fired on his ten o clock, emptying his clip with full auto.

The next mag, out in a flash, inside in a second. Two o clock target, three four round bursts, the tree was split in half. He bolted up straight, than moving left, letting his momentum carry him, picking every target that came his way, hundreds of leaves being shook and pulled from their branches. Empty, reload, last clip. Turning 180* and crouching down, there is a hedge across the verge, thick branches all. He burns the entire mag in a single volley, ripping it apart, a final display of the weapons destructive power. Finally standing, it was over "You haven't lost your touch John" Cortana complimented.

The fellowship had never seen such a symphony of destruction. Such raw power, like a hurricane, this weapon, like a dragon, would spit fire and annihalate everything it hit. Chief couldn't stop amazing them "How many of these clips do you have chief?" Aragorn asked " 24 magazines per box. That's 336 mag's. But we have a problem, logistics. The boats can't carry much else, mines already overloaded. I'd imagine the others could only manage one box each"

This was a problem, Aragorn replied to Chief "Our plan was to leave the boats and continue on foot. We can only take what we can carry" Chief knew all of this, he continued "I couldn't ask the others to carry anymore than they already are. One mag for the hobbit, perhaps two for the rest of you. I can carry multiple mag's, my armour was designed to do that, but I need to loose the crossbow bolt boxes so that the enemy doesn't get their hands on them" Everyone understood why they couldn't allow this to happen. God forbid it the enemy learned how to replicate the design.

Chief knew that 25 Mag's would not be enough to destroy the armies of Mordor. But he could effectively kill 400 orcs if he hit every target with semi auto. "Its will help us immeasurably Chief" Aragorn finally answered. "The road is long, we cannot sacrifice anything for the sake of the magazines. Destroy the crossbow and its ammunition, replace it with your weapons" Boromir had a suggestion "Should we destroy the container as well?" Chief hadn't thought of that. "No. Its made of metal. I'll push it into the river, let it sink. No one will discover it here, not for hundreds of years at least. By that point, everything will be irreparable. We should wait to destroy the other items until our checkpoint tonight"

Chief had suddenly taken control, he was finally justifying his name. "Good thinking. You should lead us more often Chief" Aragorn complimented "Thanks, but I don't know the way" Aragorn's eyes lit up a little, it was the first time he had heard Chief tell a joke! "Very well. We move out, we do not stop until we reach the Tol Brandir falls, we moor on the western bank, overlooking the eastern shore"

"Wait!" Chief barked, holding up his arm. Everyone stopped, the Spartan still had one thing left to say "I've still got one more Rifle" Everyone was a little taken aback. They gazed at the powerful weapon, was Chief about to suggest what they thought he was about to? "Legolas, you're arguably the best shot in the group, best bowman we've got, best sharpshooter we've got. Would you have it?" The Prince of Mirkwood was very tempted, but there was no doubt in his mind "No Spartan, I would not"

A shame, but there was another..."I would use it Chief, it would be a great weapon for the people of Gondor to have at thei-" "Are you a good shot?" Chief interrupted the proud captain. "Well, the accuracy of the weapon would surely compensate for any-" "Not good enough Boromir, I'm sorry" This wounded the captain deeply, but he would not show it. Chief then walked over to Aragorn, picking up the box of ammunition, still with five mags left, everyone knew who he wanted to hold it "I...Chief, are you sure you want me to use it?" Chief had no doubt whatsoever

"Legolas is a good marksman, but this weapon, for all its accuracy, is not a precision weapon. It needs a good shot, but also needs strength and aggression to use efficiently...the re coil would be almost nothing to you. Its too powerful a tool to pass off...we need all the advantages we can get!" Aragorn still wasn't sure. He wondered if maybe Gimli would...no, the dwarf obviously had no interest. "Ok Chief, I will take it" They finally in agreement. As Aragorn put three mags into his pockets and the rifle around his shoulder, they were ready to move on.

There was still a long way to go. The show had ended, there was no time like the present. They climbed back into their boats and paddled onwards. They headed towards the great sentinels of Numenor, carved out of the mountain side, they would give Mt Rushmore a run for its money! A lake, a rest. And than the horror of Amon Hen, a day that not even the Master Chief would forget.


	21. Even Luck Runs Out

**_(Authors note: Just updated the two previous Chapters, not quite good enough for m liking. I've cleaned up the previous one, and I've given Aragorn, the heir of Isuldor, an Assault rifle...can't believe I forgot to mention that...T_**

**_he new chapter is going to take a little while, and I'm sorry to report that this story is almost over..._**

**_But worry not! There will be more stories, and one day, I will do the other books, just you wait..._**

**_Thanks for all the fans! Composer out!)_**

* * *

"Chief! What are you waiting for, light them up!"


	22. Inevitability

"Chief! What are you waiting for? light them up!" The Spartan didn't need telling twice, and with bullet and fire, responded with deadly force.

Aragorn was a veteran of three dozen battles. Wraiths, orcs, ghosts and nameless things that fed on fear and hate inside of the foul and bitter wastes of the snowy north. He had fought and beaten all these things, things that would have driven lesser men to fear and madness. And yet when the bark and flash of the MA5C rifle let rip, *BOOM* *BOOM*, he couldn't help but jump.

Uruk's screamed as their useless armour and shields were ripped apart by hypervelocity rounds. Steel chainmail and cast iron battle plate shattered and ruptured, blood pored through the holes and shattered skin of half dead tissue as Uruk's screamed and fell from the cliffs above in well disciplined volleys.

What magic was this? Fire and death and trickery. Lurtz growled savagely, near helpless as his soldiers began to die. Well, almost. He moved behind a wall as two of his men's heads exploded next to him, and pulled his first arrow from its quiver. He knew how to shoot and aim quickly. He strafed out from cover, without fear, without hesitation and went for the smaller target.

"Chief, far left, archer!" Chief saw the arrow leave the quiver, straight for Aragorn. Chief shot forwards and swatted the heavy arrow away. Easy! He'd done a missile! Aragorn was less than useless however "Ranger, return fire!" The heir of Isildur suddenly sprang into action, he side stepped another arrow. Lurtz was outgunned "Bring up the hunters, hah, hunters!" With all the discipline of a patient hunter, Aragorn breathed in, aimed, and brought an Uruk down. Breath, aim, fire! Breath, aim, fire!

Chief couldn't help but look over. Aragorn was slow, undrilled...but impressively, didn't seem to miss!

Seven more Uruk-Hai archers drew up from reserve. They had received only hours of practice, they were terrible shots. As Chief and Aragorn fell behind a wall of broken masonry, only a single arrow came close, pinging off of a rock two feet from the Chief.

Lurtz was amazed, none of his sharpshooters could touch them! But Lurtz had many warriors, whilst his men died above, others were moving around the sides of the hill.

Chief wasn't a fool. He knew every trick in the book. He knew that others would be coming to outflank them if these Uruks were as numerous as he serspected. He had wondered when their luck was going to run out, why no one had yet come for them. Chief feared that they would be overwhelmed. There was only two of them, him and Aragorn. But that was the wonder and power of the modern fire arm, and Chief couldn't help but smile as Aragorn quickly re loaded a new magazine into his spent cartridge!

"Chief, hostiles on your six, and on your right. Right on time too!" Chief pulled Aragorn down as an arrow came hurtling down towards them. It pinged off of the Chief's shield, arm glowing gold. He was safe, the others weren't. Chief instantly fired on the small horde coming towards him, not wasting a shot. Area clear, he looked down at Aragorn, the ranger nodded. Chief nodded back. He helped him up, another arrow hitting the Chief's head, who promptly gunned down its point of origin.

Aragorn rose up, seeing the Uruks coming for them. He used his initiative, taking his hand off of the stock, holding it above the target suite. He let of full auto, gunning the runners down, pushing the weapon down, keeping it level. Chief was impressed, this man had never used a gun in his life, yet he could have put cadets to shame. He'd only ever seen Johnson use that technique before, Chief mused, just as another dozen Uruk's fell under his gun sight, and died under his gun sight.

The truth is though, there is only so many people you can kill, even with a gun. The Uruk Hai were too many, too fast. Every time the two comrades missed, the Uruks drew a little closer. And the drew forth without hesitation, they truly did not know fear. Chief was amazed, not even elites, not even hunters charged without hesitation. These things, whatever they were, with teeth and blades and muscles...fear was fear, and these creatures inspired fear "Chief, I've consulted the database. Only one match, Uruk-Hai, bred for one thing, the death of their enemies!" Cortana made them sound like flood, at least they died easily.

But they were still coming, they needed to move. Chief needed to act "Chief, we need to move, now! This valley is death, we need to move, find the others" He was right, Chief could survive, them, not so easily. And what about Frodo? "FIND THE HALFLING!" Lurtz yelled. He had numbers not being used, they were getting distracted.

The Uruks were right on them, climbing the broken rock. Time had run out. The Spartan gunned down another five Uruk's, and reloading his rifle, shouted "MOVE! Follow my lead!" Chief held his rifle in a single hand, drawing his claymore, cutting one down at the legs, blowing another four away as he held his arm taunt as they began to run "Chief, behind you!" John saw the blip on his HUD, right behind him! As he began to turn he heard something zip passed his head.

Time slowed down, the sound of battle died away. Chief could see every detail, pick out every moment, everything. He saw the arrow moving by, moving at a snails pace. This was not a crude orc projectile. Lithe and graceful, a work of art, green, a leaf-like point. It was an elvish design. As the Uruk behind him died, an arrow through his eye, the Spartan knew that back up had arrived!

"Wuuaarrgh, to my axe, now!" Yelled Gimli as he hacked into the first Uruk, biting deep into its solar plexus, bringing it down! Legolas fired off two shots, sniping two more through their weak points, then drawing his knives, taking another one amongst a whirlwind of stabs and slices.

They moved forwards, out of the valley, Legolas and Gimli covering flank and rear, Chief and Aragorn gunning down everything in front of them. Aragorn's problem was that he was like a predator, eyes focussed on the front, the enemies in front. He neglected the enemies behind, it was why a soldier's head needed to be on a swivel. Chief always looked back, taking Uruk's out behind, preventing his comrades from being overwhelmed.

A growl from Aragorn, swirl of movement and the sound of sliding metal indicated one thing, that he had run out of bullets. He had drawn his sword. Chief was running low as well, there were a few hundred Uruks, and they were tough, he'd hit one with seven rounds and it had still kept crawling. The bigger picture, conserve ammo.

Chief put the rifle onto his back, and took hold of his heavy swords in both his hands. "Aragorn, duck!" He shouted, Aragorn looked round, an Uruk was right on top of him. He moved as quickly as he could. And with a splash of black blood and a small sigh, the creatures head came off its shoulders. Aragorn nodded again, just as another Uruk hand grabbed him by the neck. The group had stopped dead, they couldn't move they were surrounded within the trees and ruins of Anon Hen. And Frodo was still out there, somewhere

Only one solution, fight your way out!

* * *

"Frodo! Quickly, hide here, quick!" Pippin shouted from the safety of his bush. More Uruks would be passing through, it was safer for Frodo where they were. But Frodo just sat there, by his tree, and to his horror, shook his head. "No Frodo, come here...Merry, what's he doing?" Merry already knew, he had just worked it out. He had heard the whispering, he had been tempted by the ring. He knew the danger, what Frodo had to do "He's leaving Pip!" He said simply and sadly, he knew his friend wouldn't understand why.

Pippin wouldn't accept it, wouldn't accept that he couldn't help, "No!" He hissed, he would not loose him, he would hold him down and muffle him if he had too. He ran out from the bushes, at just the wrong moment. The howl came through the branches of the trees. The Uruks were coming, they had spotted the too hobbits.

Now, they didn't know, whilst they may have suspected it, that the Uruk-Hai were only after them. But they knew one thing, Merry knew one thing. "Run Frodo, Go! Hey, HEY YOU! Over here, QUICK!" Pippin cottoned on, to whatever end "Hey! Yes! Over here!" All hell broke loose. Uruk-Hai had good ears, every Uruk within half a killometers had heard them.

Frodo had only a few seconds before the monsters tore through here. He had to keep moving, had to get away. He only hoped that the others would be ok...

* * *

"Yeah! He has some for you too you grouchy bastards!" Cortana yelled over Chief's HUD as he tore two Uruks a new one! Chief could kill a thousand here in the woods, then another before tea time! But the others couldn't. Legolas took a heavy blow, a shield glanced off of his shoulder, throwing him into a ruined wall. The Uruk kept moving at him, sprinting, roaring, sword raised high. Legolas came back to his senses, spinning suddenly, the Uruk missed completely, first sword hitting the wall, than the Uruk itself, with an _"Ooof!" _

Legolas advanced quickly, two knife strikes later, the beast's throat had been slit. Blood pouring from its throat, it went into shock, and slid down into the dirt.

Gimli tackled an ork with all his power, sending it to the ground. With short axe and a head-butt, he neutralised his foe. Another two came charging him. Gimli was heavy, and past middle age, they were too close! A sudden arrow from Legolas and a knife thrown by Aragorn saved the dwarfs knife "Be more careful next time!" Legolas screamed at him. The dwarf growled in embarrassment , picked up his other axe and layed into another snarling Uruk.

While Chief is duelling with six simultaneously, waiting for an opening, an Uruk charges into Aragorn, pinning him to a tree. Aragorn who has just a moment ago thrown the knife that saved his friend. He's on his own, everone else is in danger of being overwhelmed. Even Chief has his work cut out, "Uruks sure can be bullies!" He almost said out loud as another three came from the rear, trying to pin him down. The others roared in victory, and joined in.

Chief was astounded, these creatures were strong. the biggest one was pressing down with two hundred kilograms of pressure, all of it muscle. He was being pushed down. Nine Uruks plus gravity, versus a Spartan wearing Mjolnir armour...seemed to be a match. "Common, Spartan, COMMON!" He told himself, but as another two literally jumped on him, he was starting to fight a loosing battle. They couldn't kill him, but that wasn't his priority. They could kill the others! "Chief, I've got an idea. I can overload your shield, fry everything within five yards of you. It might burn your emitter out though!" Small price to pay, he would take the risk. He had to help them! "Do it!" He groaned as he was pushed onto all fours.

Legolas was in his element. Arrow after arrow, Uruk after dead Uruk. Nothing could get near him. Gimli just stood there, watching, jealous. The final runner was taken down. Legolas heard his comrades, Aragorn, Chief. He knew which one needed his help. He turned 170*, firing immediately. Aragorn couldn't last much longer, but salvation came. An arrow tore through the Uruk's armour, biting deep into the creatures puss ridden heart.

It was then that a massive explosion tore through the forest. A wall was blown down, body parts and viscera flew out from everywhere. The shockwave was massive and deafening, but that was not all. Light, light was everywhere, white and blinding. No one had ever seen anything like it. Incredible, blinding, forcing everyone to look away. Every Uruk within Amon Hen stopped, just for a moment. Such a noise they had never heard!

The Uruks holding Chief were annihilated, and when the three hunters looked back, they sore the Chief. The Spartan was stood, crouched, as if he had just leapt from the branches above. The wood was burning, small fires dotted the glade, growing. Energy spiralled around him, for a moment, and was gone as soon as soon as they had noticed it. No one had thought it possible. "Good news Chief, no damage, but it will take a few hours for the shield to re-set" Good news.

Everyone else was too stunned to answer, even speak. It was then when they heard it, blasting through the trees. "The Horn of Gondor!" Legolas gasps in realisation. Aragorn is in horror, he knows he has little time "Boromir!" He breathes, breaking into a run "Chief, with me!" He continued "If we work together we may hav-" "NO, I am the faster, I will save him. I promise" Cortana smiled broadly, warmth in her heart on hearing those words. As Chief drew his rifle, she wondered, would he be save Boromir too?


	23. Fate

His mind was still. His entire soul, all his worth and body and soul was focussed on this single task. He would not yield, would not, could not. He would protect them 'til his last breath, he would protect the hobbits until death. He cut down the latest Uruk to come his way, stabbing deep, charging, pushing the devil over his shoulder as he ducked down, avoiding an undisciplined return attack.

His hand, honed by two decades of war, trained from the day he could hold a sword by the greatest fencers and teachers of Minas Tirith. Hand of the Steward, the white tower's greatest hero, a matchless protégée, their greatest warrior. He only hoped he could redeem all of these credentials and redeem his honour before the end.

He knows that the beasts may be chasing down Frodo at this very moment. No! He would not have it! He pulled the great trumpet to his mouth again, and blew into it. Hopefully he would be able to draw more of them in...in horror, he saw the horde of them coming over the hill. Merry and Pippin were behind him, petrified. "Go...GO! He screamed, as the first of them drew forward. He side stepped, parried, cut into its foe, bringing it down.

Lurtz strode over the peak of the hill. Men had delivered enough pain to his kind, time for revenge. He knew, in confidence, that his race was superior. He looked on, in complete hate, as another three of his comrades fell. He held his bow arm stiff, drawing another massive arrows. All be over soon, don't worry, soon over.

As Boromir took one at the leg and brought his sword down, throwing a knife at another before it could even raise its shield. A break in the wind gives him his opportunity, he zeroes in on his adversaries chest, releases, perfect.

The arrow sails effortlessly through the air, straight towards Boromir. The captain looks up, he sees Lurtz, see's the bow than the arrow...too late. Than the impossible happened. Chief sprant in between Boromir and their enemies, he had arrived just in time, the arrow broke as it hit his breast plate. Lurtz roars with frustration. _"I' Nammah"_ He screamed, he would summon his greatest asset. Cortana heard this. She could understand every language on Middle Earth. Why is this demented thing screaming about 'a hammer'?

Boromir is stunned, Chief, helping him? He thought that he had...he was overwhelmed. Even after all this, they hadn't disowned him! Chief began to chop through the Uruks en masse, he had to reach the one on the hill, destroy their leader, stop him picking off Boromir or the hobbits. Lurtz was almost worried, would nothing bring this warrior down? He fired again, but the arrows couldn't breach his armour. He fired once more at Boromir, Chief swatted the arrow away. _"I' Nammah!" _He roared again, where the hell was the abomination.

"Chief, something on your left, moving fast, look round!" Chief stabbed an Uruk, pulling it into the air and pushing it away with the power. When he turned, he was confronted by something completely horrific. Uruk Hai were tall, all above six feet. But this thing, this, behemoth, dwarfed even Chief, and had to be at least eight feet! Wide as a Brute and tall as an Elite. Its muscles were colossal, and at points tore through the creatures vey skin, bleeding, screaming, the thing had to be in agony, and it held a massive, double hooked weapon, which made Chief's claymore look small and fragile.

It was Saruman's newest breed, bred of sorcery and the wizards own life force. Its species did not yet have a name, but the creatures title, I Nammah, the hammer, would probably suffice. "So, Chief, that's what a 'Hammer' is, heads up!"

Yet Chief didn't have much time to think about these things, as the creature sprant at him, he had to act, right now. The creature swung first, Chief leant back, it missed. Another blow from the same direction, three tenths of a second after the last, incredible. Chief back stepped and dodged again, the heavy sword just missing him. Than, howling the 'Nammah' brought its weapon down, a vertical strike. Chief moved fast, the blade dug a few feet into the soft forest ground, stuck. The Spartan took advantage, he rose up to his full height, swinging like a trebuchet, launched a shot that would lop of the giant's head, all his strength, all the speed he could muster.

Time slowed down, and a raging torrent became a slow tickle of a stream. Things almost stopped, there was only it and Chief, everything else melted away. The Nammah saw the sword, knew instinctively what was coming, and as time slowed further, hardly moving at all, the hyper violent creature responded. It let go of its weapon and drove forward, fast and hard. It took hold of the Spartan's arms, holding them down, a perfect lock, stopping the sword dead. Chief's eyes widened inside of his helmet, such strength, even a Spartan might have struggled to do that!

Chief was trapped, he tried using leverage, it didn't work, the creature head-butted him. He tried kicking out, at the knee, at the thigh in an attempt to widen/collapse the creature's balance, again the creature head-butted him. Suddenly, the creature let go. Acting faster than Chief could react to, it tore the sword from his hands, throwing it at a gawping Boromir, who avoided it by a hairs breadth.

The creature took hold of Chief's neck, he could feel its heavy fingers pushing down on his windpipe, he drew his knife, at the same time trying to punch the creature. The fist connected, he was sure he saw the Nammah smile, the knife came, the beast pulled its arm up to meat it. Blade punched through thick and rotting sinew. The creature growled, and pulled Chief into the air. All 500 kilos of him! Chief pulled the knife out, the Nimmah reacted, as the blade slid out of its bicep, he grabbed Chief's arm, holding it fast, even though it had been weakened. John knew what was coming, good thing he had his gel layer!

SLAM! Chief hit the ground with massive force, near to two tonnes of it in fact. The creature slammed its fist down, connecting with the Spartan's 'cheek'. Chief could feel the strength of the strike in his neck as his head was pulled round. If it hadn't been for his augments, it might have snapped there and then. Another hit, even stronger than the last, they were coming so fast that Chief could barely block them. This thing was peed blitzing him! Than the creature roared all the louder, and with another massive hammer fist, like an enraged gorilla, smashed into the Chief's visor.

A massive crater formed in the middle of his HUD, the armour-glass fracturing, but not breaking. Chief had few answers to the creature's raw strength, but could feel an opening. He had trained in ground combat near to all his life, he wrapped his legs around the creatures face and neck, trying to dislocate it and the arm he was holding in a tight kimora lock.

"Chief! Get off him!" Boromir screamed as the line of approaching Uruk Hai thinned for a split second. The Nimmah looked up, snarling, puny cockroach! It stood, Chief still hanging onto its neck and arm. Boromir would not give in to fear, he charged. The Nimmah dwarfed him, and even without a weapon still had the reach advantage. Chief fractured it arm, a compound fracture, the bone in its right arm sheared in tree places and dislocated at the shoulder and elbow. The pain shot through its body, but was nothing like what he had to endure second after second. The tragedy about a Nimmah? It was in agony for the whole of its short but brutal life.

The arm swung, a reverse hammer blow. It came like a bullet, hitting Boromir in the temple, no deflection. Boromir was thrown back the way he had come. He somehow kept hold of his sword, even though he was nearly unconscious, and was lucky enough as to not impale himself with it upon landing. Lurtz watched on with a psychotic smile, his ally was doing what it had been bred and programmed to do. There was nothing that could save the human now! As the beast threw Chief against a tree, bringing it down, than slamming him back down like a rag doll, Lurtz knew that the Spartan could no longer help him. A quick draw, aim, breathe, release.

Boromir, dazed and confused, had somehow gotten to his feet, and somehow defeated yet another Uruk. But he could not have stopped the arrow bite into his right shoulder, all but disabling his sword arm. The hobbits, Merry and Pippin looked on in horror. The horde of Uruk Hai, the appearance of the Chief, and the appearance of that snarling, bloodied thing. Chief being tossed about here and there, now, this!

Boromir weakened, his legs lost balance, it was like a knock out blow. He did not feel sharpness, the sharp barb of the massive arrow. No, it was like a punch, a knockout punch as it pushed him back into the wall, only, for some unexplainable reason, the greatest thing he felt was...humiliation! He had been violated, sodomised, humiliated. Hobbits? NO! The hobbits! That was all that mattered "AAAAHHH!" He would not be beaten, not by mere pain and mortal injury, no, only in death. Cortana watched on, a tear coming to her eye. Such bravery, courage, she had seen it a thousand times before. It was at this moment, in her eyes, where Cortana forgave him.

Chief kicked as hard as he could. The beast couldn't penetrate his armour, but as he felt that searing pain in his right leg again, he knew that it didn't have to, Chief still felt that he was fighting for his life. He was back on that Covenant battle cruiser, it was the elite major that had almost killed him all over again. Chief spied something, an Uruk sword inches from his leg. The pain in his leg was ignorable, it was being ripped from its socket. He let go of the Nimmah, grabbing the sword, swung hard, his armour making up for the disadvantaged position he was in. The blade bit deep, going into the Nimmah's side by about five inches. Almost a scratch. This creature seemed to feel no pain, it flailed away with its rent and useless right arm, it was almost unstoppable, at least you could kill an elite!

Boromir cut down yet one more Uruk Hai warrior, swing, parry thrust, stab at the opening, inexperienced warriors hestate...no matter how blood lusted. He fought hard, but cool as ever, not giving in to his passions. Lurtz had drawn forward again. Another painful arrow, this one had a wider head than the previous...designed for one purpose, blunt force trauma. Boromir saw it fly towards him, he had almost gotten out of the way, but it still hit him, and with a terrible cry, it hit him square in the stomach, he would bleed out in minutes. He keeled over, it was like he had just taken a sledgehammer to the gut. He keeled over, fell onto all fours. Lurtz snarled, he was enjoying this, daring the man, toying with him _"Go on, fail, don't get back up!"_

Chief heard it, everyone did. "NO!" Chief shouted, using everything he had, he turned the tables on his enemy, flipping it over, drawing his rifle, he had to kill that lead Uruk. The Nimmah stood up instantly, standing faster than you could have thought possible, saw the gun, saw Lurtz, knew what he had to do. Chief fired, one shot made it through, the next three missed...their target at least, but punched deep into the nimmah's chest. Both Lurtz and the Nimmah looked down curiously a the bloodied patches, both relishing the pain, entranced by the nature of the wound. The Nimmah drew forward again, and Chief let rip at point blank range.

Boromir was at the end of his strength, dazed, concussed, blood pouring out of his abdomen and shoulder. He couldn't do it, but he had to! But in reality, he was done. He reacted too slowly to his final adversary. A shield came down, came down hard. That was the last thing he remembered before blacking out. Lurtz smiled, drawing his sword and picking up a shield. Now to deal with the Spartan!

Twenty five bullets tore into the beast, cutting apart flesh and bone and organs with equal ease. It was enough firepower to bring down more than a dozen men, but was enough only to let the Nimmah collapse onto his left knee. The creature roared in defiance. Chief reloaded, another salvo, six more bullets. Blood spurting out of its body and shoulders, the Nimmah went onto its all fours and charged at the Chief. It bowled him over, moving with such acceleration that even he couldn't get out of the way in time. He was slammed against the wall behind, which was pulverised before them both. On the ground once more, Chief tried to fire, the Nimmah moved out of the way, and to make matters worse, grabbed hold of the weapon itself.

They struggled, both were on par for strength. Chief kicked, pushing with both legs, couldn't get the determined creature off. The Nimmah straightened out, even in its condition, its core strength was surface enough to lift the half tonne Spartan, and then throw him against the hard stone floor of Amon Hen. The creature was desperate, it could feel its life blood flowing away. It threw its head down, and tore into Chief's right hand, biting as hard as it could. Razor sharp teeth tore into the undersuit.

The pressure was incredible, for such a small jaw, Chief imagined that Hyenas would be jealous. He didn't even know if the suit could take it, bestial fury versus nano enhanced polymer-weave. Inevitably it was the Nimmah's rotted teeth that gave out, but the creature kept biting, even as shards of its own jaw started pushing into the roof of its mouth. The Nimmah had no sense for self preservation whatsoever.

Chief's grip began to weaken, the amount of pressure being exerted on his right hand was just too much. The rifle was ripped from his hands. "Chief!" Cortana screamed, hoping she wouldn't be too late. The Nimmah roared in victory, the rifle butt came down hard, Chief feeling the massive strain on his neck once more, amazed that nothing was dislocated. The Nimmah held the rifle, and started to fire. Shocks hit the Chief's breastplate and armour, not since _High Charity _and the Flood had he received fire from a UNSC weapon. Three bullets hit his undersuit, and Chief winced as the fourth bit through completely. The Nimmah moved up to his face. Chief couldn't move, too well pinned, hell, this was it! "NO! CHIEF!"

Cortana yelled again, but this time the sound did not come from inside his armour, it came from...outside! A heavy Uruk sword came crashing down, hitting the Nimmah clean in the skull. The weapon stuck fast, and was wrenched from Cortana's hand as the Nimmah rose up, tossed a bloodied Chief away and roared at its new adversary. "Keep away from him, you, BITCH!" She screamed, sprinting forwards and punching the Nimmah hard on the chin.

Chief shook his head, coming back around, saw the Nimmah, saw Cortana. Stunned, frozen, Cortana was, fighting! The AI did so with every trick she had learned, the Nimmah was strong, but its body was broken. It was fast, but its limbs had gone into shock and its muscles kept hesitating. Cortana moved like lightening, a blur of light, punches, elbows and stolen swords picked up from the floor. Another sword bit hard into the Nimmah's left shoulder, damage was starting to accumulate, even an undead creature could feel attrition. And it kept building, as Cortana let go of the weapon and launched a hard tornado kick into its chin, pushing it backwards.

The Nimmah tried to shoot her, but nothing happened. It looked down at the weapon in confusion, just as a jumping kick struck the side of its face, pushing it back two more steps.

Cortana was no stronger than any human, but she was quick, very quick, and her attacks were perfect. No human, not even an immortal elf could have replicated the perfection of her attacks. But all in all, they were a little futile, the Nimmah pulled the sword out from its head with its only working arm. Black, diseased blood and stinking puss sprayed everywhere, making Cortana gag a little, making her hesitate, she only just got out of the way as the blade came swinging down. Chief knew that she couldn't last much longer. He tried to stand, but his leg collapsed and he grunted in pain. His leg was...BROKEN! This really put the creature's strength into perspective. Bio foam was kicking in, stinging in his shoulder indicating the work of the amazing compound, but he wouldn't be able to move for a few moments.

Lurtz was looking on in shock. This ghost, a demon had just appeared from the empty forest air. Like a woman, blue and glowing, lithe and slim. Puny, weak, as she was driven back by his Nimmah, Lurtz knew that the shade could not last. Cortana's face was grim, and their was genuine fear in her eyes. She was not soldier, she had never fought in her life, even though all the battle training was inside her mind, it was difficult to utilize. The Nimmah threw the sword away and grabbed Cortana by the neck.

Cortana felt, for the first time in her life, pain. And it was awful. She clawed at her neck as the terrible sensations began to overwhelm her, the Nimmah lifted her high into the air, squeezing harder, but not yet, it was savouring the moment, it wanted the ghost to feel as much fear as possible. Cortana was terrified. If she could feel pain, would the destruction of her avatar lead to death? Than she thought of something, an abstract idea floated for an instant across her mind. She was fighting like a human, but she was not human. Her avatar dematerialised, leaving only her CPU floating, subtly outside of the Nimmah's view. It was confused, where had the being gone?

Cortana's CPU moved slowly and silently, it crept around the Nimmah. When it was right behind it, Cortana reformed. With the gentle hiss and sound of the avatar reappearing, the Nimmah turned, just in time to see a sword career into its jaw. The Nimmah lashed out wildly, Cortana leant back, avoiding it, than slashed again, cutting deep into its arm. The creature lashed out in the same way, Cortana ducked, lashed out vertically with the sword, taking the creatures arm off completely. The Nimmah charged, but Cortana just threw the sword into the air, dematerialised, reappeared, caught the sword and cleaved into its back, the Nimmah roaring in frustration, pain and defeat.

IT wasn't going to last much longer!

Cortana heard a roar, another Uruk Hai was running at her, she ducked and rolled, the sword hitting nothing but air. Kneeling, she swiped at the Uruk's neck, severing the jugular and the windpipe. The creature fell, another two arrived. Cortana stuck her leg out forward, a kung fu move she suddenly remembered. The first Uruk toppled over. The second came, Cortana used its shield to her advantage, the beast couldn't hit her, but as she took its legs out from under it and bit hard into its chest as it fell, it was clear that she knew exactly what she was doing. The Nimmah came again.

Cortana dematerialized, she was in her element, nothing would touch her again! The second Uruk was trying to get up, she broke its neck, picked up the sword that she had forgotten to catch, damn a mistake! Unusual! The Nimmah wasn't really with it anymore, too much blood lost, its head with a massive hold at the side, the tip of the iceberg, hinting at the massive trauma inside. All Cortana had to do was step left, she severed its Achilles tendon as it went by.

But then, another foe came, Lurtz! He slashed and battered away with his sword, Cortana pushed completely off balance by the savage assault, arms hurting under the strain. A final strike, Cortana slipped and fell. The blow came, aimed at the neck, but hit only soil. Lurtz missed the CPU, but knew where the attack was going to come. As Cortana reappeared, she was greeted back into the world by a massive caste iron shield "Aaah" She screamed as the wall of metal hit her, the sword nicking her skin, the shield almost breaking her arms. She was thrown back, falling down. She managed to pick herself up. But the shield came again

"No. NO! CORTANA!" Chief got to his feet, but could not run fast enough to save her. The shield came, Cortana ducked just in time. Now came the sword, so hard that it tore her own blade right out of her hands. She delivered a left jab to the side of Lurt'z face. The Uruk Hai paused, than looked round sinisterly, full of hate and amusement. He had-butted Cortana, taken off guard by the savagery of the attack.

She blacked out for a split second, when she looked up Lurtz was right there above her. She couldn't dematerialise in time, she screamed and held her arms above her in futility. Lurtz lunged, brought the sword down, but out of nowhere, salvation came for her. John wasn't the only one who was lucky it seemed! Aragorn impacted the Uruk Hai captain as hard as he could. Lurtz was brought down, Aragorn tumbled down, off balance as well, but had saved Cortana. She lay shaking on the ground.


	24. Destiny

Chief rushed over to Cotana. There was nothing else in his mind. The Uruks were gone, dead or gone, retreated from the battle. The Hobbits, Merry, Pippin. Gone! Cortana, what could he do for her! She wasn't even...he put his hand to her neck. There was, to his surprise, but than when he realised the implications of it, relieved. There was a pulse! He takes her CPU, it is undamaged. Her avatar disappears and he puts it back into his armour. She was going to be ok. Better at least than...BOROMIR! He rushed over to the fallen warrior. Two arrows, deep in his shoulder and stomach. He pulled them out immediately, being careful to cause no more trauma. As he pulled the second one from him, Boromir came round, and cried out at the pain. "Ahh...Sp-Spartan! Forgive me!" He said simply, and began to shake, a mixture of shock and weeping.

Meanwhile, Aragorn has met his equal. He climbs to his feet, but Lurtz is already on him. Sword against sword, skill against savagery. Lurtz hits first, Aragorn, catching Aragorn off balance. Wrong footed, all he can do is hold his sword hard, stopping Lurt'z attack dead in its tracts. Metal slides against metal, elven craftsmanship equalling the crude but heavy duty orc blade. The Uruk stares into the ranger's eyes, time to end this. Pushing with all his might and strength, he sends Aragorn flying. Completely off balance, Aragorn falls back more than twelve feet before a tree stops him. Aragorn is winded, his sword flies out of his hand due to the force of the impact. Lurtz will not give him the opportunity to retrieve his weapon. He does something remarkable, he grabs the shield by its base and lobs it through the air like a dart. Unstable, it flies up towards Aragorn like a wing or kite and lodges right between his neck and the tree, pining him in place. Aragorn can't breath, and can't move.

This is his chance, Lurtz charges forwards, sword raised high, Aragorn struggling, trying to wriggle free, trying to move the shield away. He has only seconds, and just in time moves the shield enough to escape. He ducks below the huge piece of metal, just as an Uruk sword slams into the place where his neck had just been. Sparks fly from his sword, causing the monster's eyes to light up like a burning flame as the light reflects off. Aragorn punches the Uruk in the stomach, seemingly to no effect. Lurtz slams his elbow and boy into Aragorn, throwing him off of his feet, hurtling into a clearing. Relentless, Lurtz swings his sword down towards Aragorn, who rolls, managing to avoid the heavy blade. Aragorn breathes in and kicks as hard as he can into the charging captain's solar plexus, stunning him for a moment. Without his sword, Aragorn draws his Arnor dagger, forged long ago for his father in the north, and slices into the Uruk's leg.

This only enrages Lurtz further, and for the first time in his life he sees his own blood. As he twists round to face Aragorn, preventing him from taking the knife out due to the awkward angle, punches him hard in the face, following through with his cast iron gauntlet. He dropps his sword, picking the ranger up, head-butting him, drawing blood. He than punches him again, in the chin, sending Aragorn sprawling to the right. As Aragorn recovers, Lurtz feels the knife again and roars in pain. Clearing all doubt from his mind, he drags it out of his calf.

Aragorn is dazed, but realises that he has landed right beside his sword. Fortune has finally come his way. HE has the advantage now, time to end this! Lurtz licks his blood from the blade, trying to intimidate Aragorn, who is seemingly too dazed to notice. Lurtz out of hate, throws the knife hurtling at the ranger. Aragorn's body floods with adrenaline and a mix of a dozen other chemicals, he comes round, and manages to deflect the near invisible target. Aragorn stands, Lurtz is completely unarmed.

Realising his mistake, the Uruk hobbles over to his sword, just in time, as a blood lusted Aragorn charges him with wild abandon. Fighting harder than he has ever done before, Aragorn drives the powerful Uruk back, blindsiding him with his sudden burst of rage and savagery, overwhelming him with a flurry of blows. Lurtz finally lets his guard down, and Aragorn without mercy, cleaves his arm from him, disarming Lurtz in the act.

Whilst the Uruk is gazing at his severed limb in fascination, Aragorn drives his blade straight into the creature's chest. Lurt'z eyes bulge, and blood pours from his mouth. Crippled, sheer agony rips through his body, but he will not give in! He grabs Aragorn's sword with his remaining arm, and with the remainder of his strength, pulls an amazed and terrified Aragorn towards his snarling, tooth ridden maw. Leaning forward as if trying to rip out Aragorn's throat with his bare teeth. Chief is watching, as is Boromir, both with their hearts in their throats!

Aragorn will not have it! He steels himself, and supresses all fear and doubt. He pulls the sword from the Uruk's gut, pulling most of his fingers off in the act. swinging his sword around in a huge arc, he finishes it. Coupe de grace, decapitation. The battle is over, man has won this day.

But, the victory is bitter, Aragorn see's the Chief, he is cradling Boromir, ridden with wounds, possibly at his last breath. Boromir is pale, a massive gash over his left temple and is covered in blood, most of it not his. Aragorn rushes over to his side, as soon as he reaches him, Boromir grabs him by the shoulder. "Aragorn, th-they took the little ones...Merry, Pip, couldn't save them..." And than his face fills with even more fear. "...Oh, no...Frodo, where is Frodo?" He asks in horror. Aragorn tries to smile "I let him go" He replies in consolation. Boromir is still horrified "And the others, Sam, Gimli, Leg..." He sees them, Legolas and Gimli, they have just enteed the clearing, shocked at the amount of bodies strewn around the hillside.

It is than that they see the massive form of the Nimmah, struggling, desperately trying to get at one of them. Immobile, rabid, foaming at the mouth. Legolas fires a single arrow, no effect, the broken creature only screams all the louder. Gimli is disgusted, he strides over to the monster, takes his axe, raised high, and brings it down hard. The creature's body moves no more, its severed head twitches for a few moments, than it to, finally falls still. "That is how you finish an enemy, master elf!" He says, shaking his head, an arrow, really?

But Legolas will not have it, not now "Have you no respect Gimli? Boromir, your thoughts need to be with Boromir" Gimli turned round, gazing at his fallen comrade, now ashamed for his lack of care and respect. But Boromir was not relieved, this only worried him more "Sam, no, no Sam is he..." No one knew, "I have not seen him Boromir, he will be with Frodo, he made him a promise, he will intend to keep it" Boromir was still not at peace, he still had to come to terms with the rest of his fears "Than you did what I could not Aragorn. You saw me, I tried to take the ring from him...after swearing my oath...forgive me, please, for I did not see!"

It was than that he suddenly wailed in pain. Chief was applying some kind of salve to his wounds, his chest, his head. It was bio foam. The fellowship stared at the curious substance, it moved and bubbled, steam came off from it. It altered shape and solidified, forming a protective cast, like a scab. Boromir stopped screaming, the wounds calmed, that was the sterilization process that had made him cry out. The wounds were easier suddenly. Chief took a tube from his helmet. "Drink this Boromir" Boromir watches as Chief squeezes the tube, drops of water fall out from it. He frowns and tries to swat it away "No...leave it, it is over!" He says suddenly, refusing his help.

Chief knows what he is doing, he is giving up. "I have failed you all..." "No!" Aragorn told him softly "You fought bravely, you have kept your honour, made up for all misdeeds" A single tear trickled down his eye, even after all this...perhaps he had done his kind and people proud, this lead him to his final fear, the greatest of his three "It is over then. If we cannot defeat our demons, within and without, then the world of men will fail...all will come to darkness, and my city to ruin" He began to weep. Chief tried to help "The fight isn't over yet, Boromir" But this meant nothing for him. Aragorn was finally starting to see, men needed hope. And they currently had none, how could he stand by, neglect his powers and lineage, if not for himself, than for everyone else...

"I do not know what strength is in my blood. But I swear that I will not let the White City fall...nor our people fail!" This confuses Boromir, what is Aragorn saying "Our people?" Than with pride, he realises "Yes, our people" The return of the king, that was the hope his people needed. He had never wanted such responsibility, Boromir was a soldier, not a king. He had proven that here, in the ancient site of ancient Amon Hen.

Boromir tries to reach for his sword, he is still in shock, he cant quite do it. Aragorn helps him, and brings the sword and his arm to his chest. Chief remembers something, a Muriel he once saw, a monument to the Great War, earth's first global conflict. The resting warrior, with a sword and rifle rested against his chest. No, he wouldn't have this, not after all this "I would have followed you my brother...my captain...my-" "NO! Boromir, I will not have it!" Chief exclaims, pulling Boromir's sword from his hand. Everyone stared at him in shock, as if he had just murdered one of the hobbits. But no, he would not have it

"You are not finished Boromir, my medicines will continue to heal you. You must drink this water, now!" It was more than water, it was a Hypotonic solution, full of fast release sugars, nutrients and fast acting stimulants. In combination with the bio foam, it was sure to kick-start his body, keep him breathing, conscious and alive. He would make it through this. Boromir stared at the Spartan "Please, Chief, It is over...give me back my sword so that I may die wit-" "No Boromir, your wounds are not severe, you need rehydration, you need to drink this water"

Boromir looked at the tube, it would be good at least to quench his thirst before death, stop him shaking so much. He took it to his mouth, Chief helping him. John wasn't a medic, but every Spartan knew it, he just hadn't specialised in it. This was all the medical attention that Boromir needed. Boromir drank, surprised by the sweetness of the drink, and how it burned his throat a little. He swigged down a dozen massive gulps, and than had stated his thirst. Suddenly, he started to feel odd. Had the Spartan poisoned him? No! He had tricked, him, more medicine! His ears that had once been dull were clear and perfect. His sight was restored, what had been cloudy, full of shadows, were now clearing, becoming distinguished. The pain that wracked his body started to subside, and he could feel the beating of his heart speed up and breath become harder.

He was recovering, starting to recover. "Would you deny me a heroes death Spartan?" He said, almost bitter. Chief simply shook his head. "No, there is still a fight to be had. You may yet find a glorious death. your people need you, all those good in this world need you, Boromir. This may not be my world...but it is my duty to protect the lives of innocents no matter what. I will not stop fighting your enemies. You almost gave your life for the hobbits, is there no strength left in you to fight for your own people?"

Boromir was inspired, he was finally understanding this Spartan. And he was inspired. This John, with no thought of reward or gain, was willing to give everything he had to save this world. How could he stand by so selfishly and not too fight for his world? His people needed their captain! This was not the time for death, the Spartan's medicine had pulled him from his death bed, and now...weak as he was...it was not his time to die!

Boromir pushed the two men away from him. He brushed himself down, wiping black blood away from his spoilt tunic. He rose off of his back, his stomach and shoulder screaming in pain, making him wince, but he wouldn't cry out. He rolled over, onto all fours, he would not give in, his people needed him. He filled himself with the image of his city, and all those he held dear within it. His father, his beloved brother, all those he cared about, his soldiers, his men, his brothers, close as any family, his long gone mother.

He pushed against the tree, and against his thighs, he stood, finally stood, legs wobbling, still in shock, shaking from head to foot. But he would not be defeated yet, not whilst, as the Spartan said, that there was 'still a fight to be had'. "Let us finish the fight, John. Thank you" He said with great pride. Chief took his hand, and put the other on his left shoulder, the uninjured side. "I am honoured to fight by someone so determined" He replied, still trying to boost the man's confidence.

It was then when blue light erupted from the Spartan's armour, and a CPU flew out. Cortana, rubbing the side of her head, appeared by his side, and touched Boromir's arm with much tenderness "As am I, son of Gondor" Boromir was overwhelmed, Cortana's beauty was the straw that broke the camel's back. His weak legs became even weaker, and Boromir lost his balance, Aragorn and Chief catching him "Perhaps, I shall finish this fight in after a week or two, my good brothers"

As Gimli and Legolas came over to greet him, everyone couldn't help but smile, and than burst out laughing. Well, almost. Chief just nodded with them, smiling a little underneath his helmet.


	25. The End of the Beginning

Chief couldn't help but reflect on everything that had happened over the course of these past months. He looked out to the forest, the trees and the waters of the river Anduin as they trickled by, close to the shore. His eyes could be seen, he had had to rip the shattered glass from his battle with the Nimmah, useless, but he still had the HUD display, the internal mesh and wiring had been salvageable. It had been necessary, even though he now felt exposed to the world around him, he was vulnerable now. Even then, his wounds were healing, the bullets had been removed. He reflected back on his journeys, what he had done, what the future would hold.

Four years ago, he had been a soldier of the UNSC. He had fought in a war that had lasted nearly three decades. At its climax, old enemies had become allies for the common good. He and his allies had travelled beyond known space, beyond the galaxy itself to an ancient seat of power, the Ark, Forerunner installation - 00. There he had defeated an enemy hell bent on the destruction of mankind, finally bringing an end to a society that had caused the deaths of approximately 23 billion humans.

He had confronted a timeless enemy, the flood, worse than even the Covenant. He had descended into what felt like the depths of hell itself, to destroy the flood and find the one person that he felt, more than ever now, that he couldn't live without. She sat with him now, wearing her green-leaf elven cloak. She was his oldest living friend, his companion, with him until the end, Cortana. He could not imagine life without her. He was glad that she was here with him, in this more peaceful world, yet still a world held inside the grip of war and fear.

He had found her, all alone inside of the terrible infested corridors of _High Charity, _the fallen capital of the Covenant Empire, he had found her, just as he had promised. They had destroyed the flood, and destroyed the Ark itself in the process, an artificial construct larger than a dozen earth sized worlds, and he had managed to destroy it. He could remember looking out that window, aboard _The Dawn, _long since crashed here on this peaceful, backwater world.

The old ship was like a monument, to all he had lost, and to all he had gained here on the continent of Middle Earth. Stuck here on this pretty world, the planet of Arda, as spoken in the tongues of elves. Much like earth, it had beauty, it had wickedness, it had good, and had evil. He had not lost his purpose by being stuck here, there was still a humanity to protect, and half a dozen other good and virtuous peoples who deserved to live out their lives, free from evil and oppression.

There was danger in this world, great evil, monsters and magic and other such things that Chief had known once to be impossible. There were forces at work here that John, for all his knowledge, for all his experience, the destroyer of worlds and 'Godly constructs'. For all his worth, there was forces at work here that John did not understand.

But what he did understand was plain and simple. The good people of this world could not defeat the growing power of evil that marshalled against them. How did he know they were good? Why should he fight for elves and men? Not orcs and ancient wizards and sorcerers. The answer was just as simple, because the free peoples of this world did not fight for resources, they did not care for conquest and dominion of all things. They were kind and compassionate, for the most part, and even then when they did cause evil, it was due to misguided perceptions about the world, not genuine wishes for hurt or power.

No, these free people truly were good, they fought against their evils and demons, and almost always defeated them. But of course, they did not have the power to destroy the combined strength of Mordor and all its allies. They needed Chiefs help, needed it desperately. "And they will get it John, I know you, I know they will. I believe in you, always have, always will. You never give up, you never stop fighting. You've done this all your life, Its why I...admire you so much, and I will never stop admiring you" Cortana said to him, with all her heart and soul.

Chief smiled, underneath his helmet. She knew him too well, had known him for too long. Cortana always filled him with warmth and confidence, and put his mind at peace. They could console in each other, Chief had never been able to do that, not with anyone, not even his Spartans. But he could always confide in Cortana, and she could always confide in him. They'd both known each other for too long!

"Its not over" Chief replied to her "War is coming now, like before, its not a war humanity, or the others, can hope to win" Cortana nodded, face set, concealing all emotion "Our only hope is Frodo, that he can destroy the ring. Its a long shot, who's to say it will work even? This is magic and sorcery, all we have is the words of wise men, as convincing as they are, but no other assurance that this will work" Chief nodded, it had occurred to him as well. What if destroying the ring wouldn't destroy Sauron? No! "It has to work" He replied to her, but as Cortana looked down at the leaves below, face full of worry, he knew that wasn't good enough "It, will, work...Frodo is strong, so is Sam, they will look after each other, they will get to Mordor. I've seen men do less"

Chief sighed, letting Frodo and Sam go had been one of the hardest human moments of his life, watching as they had disappeared into the treeline on the other side of the river. He feared for the hobbits, how could he not have done? Two little Halflings, all alone in a wide and dangerous world, heading for the very heart of the enemies territory. But they had such strength in them, inner strength, determination and bravery equalling anything he had ever seen, perhaps even exceeding it! Chief would continue to tell himself that they would make it, they had to. They would make it.

Cortana looked up, her eyes twinkling "You believe in them?" She said with great tenderness and vulnerability, her voice soft like the coo of a gentle dove. Chief just nodded. Cortana chuckled, he wouldn't change, still a man of few words. It was why she...why she... Cortana stopped and sighed, she still couldn't come to terms with her emotions, too powerful, she didn't know what they meant, she was afraid of them. It was then that Aragorn came over, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. "Worry not, don't give in to fear and dread. Our actions will not be in vain, whilst the Fellowship has ended, this part of our history has not. We will move forward, continue to defend Middle Earth and all those who dwell in it. There is still a fight to be had, and only hope should fill our hearts"

Cortana was starting to feel better. She stood, looking up into the man's eyes...hmm, she could see why Arwen liked him! Just then, Boromir suddenly woke up. He was laid down amongst some cloaks, he had passed out a few moments after Cortana had appeared "_Cough, Cough. _He is right. There is no reason for fear now, only hope should dwell in our hearts" He said, his eyes glazing back over as soon as they had opened. He was still in a bad way, weak, pale, in need of food and rest. Lambdas bread would sustain him, but he wasn't going to be able to walk for many days yet, much less run.

At that moment, one of the boats came loose from its moorings. It was carried away by the strong current, picking up speed, loosing stability, until it finally disappeared over the side of the great falls. Chief looked back at the sickly captain. He thought about how things could have turned out if he hadn't arrived when he did...it wasn't worth thinking about. Boromir was alive, he was a good soldier, brave, powerful, he would only be an ally to them, once he had healed. At least they had Bio foam, that would cut that healing time tenfold. But as of yet, he was still in no position to walk and stand. This would be a problem.

"Has it all been in vain? Will we fail?" Gimli said grimly, letting Frodo go had effected him badly. Aragorn moved from Cortana, and placed his hand on Gimli's shoulder, bringing in everyone, Legolas, Chief, Cortana, making them stand, making them all come in "Not if we hold true together!" Aragorn said simply, with much fealty. Gimli hardened himself, and gripped Aragorn by the arm as well in respect and agreement. They all looked round at each other, whilst Boromir slept. Legolas, Cortana, John and Gimli...so long as they had each other.

"So, what now boss?" Cortana asked Aragorn, in good spirits now. Aragorn smiled a little, but replaced amusement with steel and confidence. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not whilst we have strength left" Legolas had a single question "What about Boromir?" Everyone looked round to his direction, the man rolling around slightly in delirium. All apart from Cortana, she just looked towards Chief, a beaming, mischievous smile spread across her face. "Chief?" she asked, almost like a joke. John stared back, eyes like a wolf, betraying playful false hate to her. But he knew there was no alternative "I will carry him. I can manage" Course he could, he had Mjolnir armour!

Aragorn turned back round, and nodded. "Very well, leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light...let's hunt some orc!" He said with adrenaline, and tore off into the treeline. Gimli and Legolas looked at each other, eager, very eager. "YES! Hahaa!" The dwarf bellowed as he sprant after his comrade, quickly overtaken by the light-footed elf. Cortana stayed with Chief. Whilst he seeped Boromir up, cloaks, shield, sword and all, locking hoisted him over his shoulder, asking Cortana a question. "Ready to get back into it?" She smiled, "Of course, but, Chief, I've never experienced running before. I want to try it!"

John's eyes widened for a moment in surprise. Of course she hadn't! Chief loved running, it was one of the only luxuries a Spartan possessed. How could he deny her it? "Just don't fall behind!" He said playfully, and sped off after the others. Cortana beamed in happiness, jumped up and down, ran on the spot. Hell, she didn't need to warm up, she didn't have muscles. She started to run, wind flew past her head, noisy in her ear, the ground beating hard under her feet. It was brilliant!

* * *

Meanwhile, two small but determined friends had just broken clear of the Amon hen treeline. Volcanic rock lay in front of them. The two companions climbed over the hard and twisted rock ahead, and when they reached the summit, they looked out into the clearings beyond.

A great sea of rock, tall, like the tumultuous, storm fevered waves of a frozen, petrified sea. Beyond that, flatlands, green and brown, broken by pools of water, the marshes. And beyond that, hidden under shadow, flame and fire hidden beyond it, a great rising wall of mountain, as if the very ground itself had risen from the floor below, however that may have happened.

Hobbits didn't really know about the science of plate tectonics, or perhaps the rock had risen by the power of Sauron, or perhaps Morgoth himself had commanded the rock to rise from the ground into the sky above? We may never know. But all the same, it was incredible, and it was what lay ahead of them, it was a little intimidating. "Mordor!" Frodo breathed in awe "I hope the others find a safer road"

He sincerely hoped it. But they were in good spirits, despite the heart-brakes of earlier, leaving everyone behind. Well, almost everyone "Strider will look after them" Sam said confidently "As will the Chief, they will be alright" Frodo smiled, he was sure too. But it was still sad "I don't suppose we will ever see them again" He sighed, realistically, they wouldn't. Sam wouldn't have it "We may yet Mr Frodo, we may!" Frodo hoped now, Sam's words had reassured him, filled him with warmth and courage. "Sam..." He began, turning to face his best friend for a moment "...I'm glad you're with me" Sam smiled back, always to reassure Frodo.

As they both turned to gaze at the land beyond again, something caught their eye. A small light, glowing in the distance, beyond the darkness, away from Mordor, like a star. It twinkled, red, bright, glowing, than began to move across the sky, burning high in the atmosphere, right over their heads, higher than they could imagine. Astonishing! "Another falling star!" Sam breathed in wonder, "Its a sign Mr Frodo, a blessing, a sign of good luck!" It was at that moment when Sam knew everything was going to be alright. He started to make his way down the incline, towards the twisted labyrinth of rock beyond.

Frodo continued to stare at the falling orb of light, until it disappeared, moving somewhere towards the west. He thought back to that night on weather top, not about the fire or pain or wraiths, but about Chief. John had said that he hadn't come from the shooting star. Pippin had told him that in Rivendell, he hadn't been convinced. He had asked Chief in person during their long trek though Moria. He had said no then as well.

Frodo hadn't perused it, but had sensed lie in the Spartan's words. What would the shooting star bring? More warriors, like Chief? If not, how would they be different? He just wanted to hope that Sam was right, that it was just a sign of good luck. He looked forwards once more, following Sam, heading off on his quest once more. It was going to be a long adventure after all!


	26. Epilogue

**_(To be continued...)_**


End file.
